Red and Black Revolution: Dazibao and Woodcuts From 1960s China

Red and Black Revolution: Dazibao and Woodcuts From 1960s China

Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University, 2017

Co-Curated by Susan Israel, Climate Creatives President

Dazibao (big character) posters were ubiquitous during the Cultural Revolution, but nearly all of them were destroyed as soon as it ended. Susan Israel had concentrated her undergraduate studies on modern Chinese History, so when she saw these artifacts in Shanghai, she knew they needed to come to the US. Eventually she was able to facilitate the loan of the artifacts, and co-curated this exhibition. The dazibao and woodcut posters are extraordinary for their cultural and artistic importance. The largest dazibao posters exhibited were over 12’ long and had to be displayed on flat tables. Learn more about the exhibition and its fascinating context in these articles by Eleanor Goodman on SupChina and Chris Bergeron on MetroWest Daily News.