The Sun is Red

 Shen Han Wun, The Sun is Red, c. 2000

"In the world today all culture, all literature and art belong to definite classes and are geared to definite political lines. There is in fact no such thing as art for art's sake, art that stands above classes, art that is detached from or independent of politics. Proletarian literature and art are part of the whole proletarian revolutionary cause; they are, as Lenin said, cogs and wheels in the whole revolutionary machine." (Mao Tse-tung, "Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art" (May 1942), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 86)

 Shen Han Wun, Untitled, c. 2000

 Ling Jian, The East is Red, 2000s

 Hu Ming, Tranparent Military, 2007

Great realism, therefore, does not portray an immediately obvious aspect of reality but one which is permanent and objectively more significant, namely man in the whole range of his relations to the real world, above all those that outlast mere fashion. Over and above that, it captures tendencies of development that only exist incipiently and so have not yet had the opportunity to unfold their entire human and social potential. (Georg Lukács, "Realism in the Balance", 1938) 

© Andy Green - Thanks to Fantomatic

Zhong Biao, Midday Sun, 2006

 He Sen, Cigarettes and Alcohol, 2006

There are not a few people who are irresponsible in their work, preferring the light to the heavy, shoving the heavy loads on to others and choosing the easy ones for themselves. At every turn they think of themselves before others. When they make some small contribution, they swell with pride and brag about it for fear that others will not know. They feel no warmth towards comrades and the people but are cold, indifferent and apathetic. In fact such people are not Communists, or at least cannot be counted as true Communists. (Mao Tse-Tung, "In Memory of Norman Bethune" (December 21, 1939), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp. 337-38)

 Erró – Point to the East, Point to the West, 2000s

 Manga

 Houston, we have a problem

 Wei Dong

 Zhang Xiaogang, Bloodline, 2005

 Zhang Xiaogang, My Dream: Little General, 2005

 PLA air force pilots salute during a training session for China's 60th anniversary military parade at a military base in Beijing, China.

 Yue Minjun, Armed Forces (aus der Serie „Hat“), 2005

 Yue Minjun, Execution, 2000s

Yue Minjun, born 1962, is  based in Beijing. He is best known for oil paintings depicting himself in various settings, frozen in laughter. His piece “Execution” became the most expensive work ever by a Chinese contemporary artist, when sold in 2007 for £2.9 million pounds (US $5.9 million) at London's Sotheby's. 

Yan Pei-Ming, Exécution, après Goya, 2008



Hi Panda, © Ji Ji, 2006 detail, 2007

 Li Zhanyang, Rent – Rent Collection Yard, 2007, Detail of installation at Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing, History Observed: Joseph Beuys, Mao Zedong

 Shi Xinning, Duchamp Retrospective Exhibition, 2000–2001

 Max Scheler, Cleaning Mao Zedong, Bejing 1967

 Li Shan, Mao, 2005

 Fang Lijun, Series 2, No. 2, "Howl" (1991 - 1992)

Fang Lijun is a leading figure of the Cynical Realist school, which was a reaction against the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989. The figure of a baldheaded youth has been his trademark, alternately interpreted as mocking, disillusioned, or displaced.  

Fang Lijun, 2001.1.15, 2001

 Wang Niandong, Urban Desire, 2000s

 Wang Du, Untitled, 2000s

 He Sen, Space and Air, 2008

 Jiang Guo Fang, Dream of a Lotus Flower, 2008

 Wang Xingwei, untitled (air hostess), 2005

 Wang Xingwei, Comrade Xiao He N. 2, 2008

 Zeng Fanzhi, Dog Series, 2000s

 Zeng Fanzhi, Hospital Series, 1994

Zhong Biao, Untitled, 2000s 

 Zhang Huan, To Raise the Water Level in a Fishpond, 1997 (Performance)

 Fang Lijun, B.1963, 1998

 Hu Ming, Transparent Military, 2007

 Xiaoze Xie, February 6, 2003. L.T. (The Pretext), 2008
Colin L. Powell addressing the United Nations Security Council on Feb. 5, 2003, holding up a bottle of fake yellowcake uranium. 

 Tang Zhigang, Children in a Meeting, 2002

 Zhou Tiehai, Cattellan - Mini Me, 2006