Anti Vice Campaign
The painting in the second serie is done in color scale. In this color scale paintings, women are covering their faces. On the side, there is a policeman watching them with a disgusting look. The brush work is being done very carefully in this painting to fully describe the body shape as well as other feminism features. Besides, women in this picture is highlighted by the contrast of color. There is also an isolation line between the women and men figures. This art work catches audiences' attentions right away with an uncomfortable message. Women are covering their faces because they are scared and ashamed. However, the invisible message behind these figures can be about the factors that contribute to prostitution. Women are the only gender that is objectified in these paintings. Shang Haiying is revealing the power structure in which male is dominant and controlling the society. Because of the inequality, women are easily to be pushed into these prostitution structure where women are being taken advantage of. It was not a human choice but rather, they are being sold or traded into these illness system.
The painting in the 5th serie is done in the gray scale. Similar to the previous painting, this art work is revealing the issue about power inequality and prostitution. In this picture, two women are painted with a monumental theme with only black and white colors, mostly black. Again, in this pictures, women's faces are not shown because of fear and shame. They are being degraded. Their integrity and hopes are being destroyed by people who are currently taking advantage of this prostitution system. Beyond that point, there is a sense of depression in these figures. Gray scale reveals a future with no hope for women. More women are being pushed into the illness prostitution system and no one can get out healthily. There is a theme of "giving-up" in this picture. The painting is also interpreted as a wake up call for people in China. Zhang Haiying is asking Chinese to look at the power structure critically and figure the ways to help these women out of this depression system. The brush work also plays an important role in this painting. The density of colors and the shades of each figures are emphasizing the message that the painter is trying to communicate.
Read more about this topic: Zhang Haiying
Famous quotes containing the words vice and/or campaign:
“There is probably not one person, however great his virtue, who cannot be led by the complexities of life’s circumstances to a familiarity with the vices he condemns the most vehemently—without his completely recognizing this vice which, disguised as certain events, touches him and wounds him: strange words, an inexplicable attitude, on a given night, of the person whom he otherwise has so many reasons to love.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
“The war on privilege will never end. Its next great campaign will be against the privileges of the underprivileged.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)