Great Criticism: Pepsi-Cola

Over the 1980s, the Chinese painter and sculptor Wang Guangyi became the symbol of the new Chinese art that emerged after the Cultural Revolution. Guangyi studied art at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts and, following graduation, formed the well-known group of artists The Northern Art Group. Not long after, he moved to the city of Zhuhai in the south of China, where he and other painters held the historie China/Avant-Garde Exhibition in 1989, at which he presentad his first series of politically critical paintings, Mao Zedong: AO. In this series, Guangyi portrays the face of Chairman Mao behind a black grid. These works began the theme of political criticism that runs through his painting production in later years.

In 1990, he started to create the Great Criticism series, which includes the work Great Criticism: Pepsi-Cola in the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. This series features prototype figures from Chinase Cultural Revolution propaganda along side the logos of well-known western capitalist brands. These paintings reflect the change from traditional China to the new China. lronically, he “criticises” how the political symbols of the Cultural Revolution and the commercial symbols of western influence, which was growing more important in China at the time, combine as two forms of social influence.

Figures and symbols are juxtaposed in the works, which adopt the aesthetics of an advertising poster, very much in the style of western Pop Art. The works from this period are remarkable for their characteristically bright red background which contrasts with the very Mao-era yellow figures. The images are outlined with thick black lines, while series of Chinese barcode numbers are dispersed randomly across the whole canvas. Western commercial brands, specifically from the US, are those most repeated in this series. The Coca-Cola and Pepsi brands are the most commonly used symbols, but also brands such as Zippo, Swatch, Chanel or Louis Vuitton, and American Pop Art personalities such as Andy Warhol.
Great Criticism: Pepsi-Cola, in the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, was created in 1994, part of the earliest production in this series. In this work, three figures dressed in Red Army uniforms raise their fists as a sign of authority. In the foreground, one of the figures next to the “NO” caption is holding an ink pen pointing towards the “Pepsi” logo written across the bottom of the canvas. The background is in the characteristic bright red and a series of numbers are repeated randomly: “13587” in black and “9046” in white.

The Great Criticism series not only contained oil paintings but also large polyester resin sculptures representing male figures in work clothes, such as Materialist, 2002 (1). There are various versions under this title, with variations in posture and clothing.

In 2007, Guangyi ended production of this series. Several Great Criticism works were exhibited in 1993 at the 45th Venice Biennale, which displeased the Chinese ruling elite, although the artist gained great popularity in the western market. Today, his works are greatly valued in the oriental market and have been exhibited at a number of galleries and museums around the world. They also form part of both private and public collections as prestigious as the Tate Gallery in London.

María Luisa García Serrano

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(1) Wang Guangyi. Materialist (2002). Painted polyester resin. 200 x 88.5 x 98 cm.
No. 3/6. Prívate collection. Lot 1115. Sotheby’s Catalogue, Auction 06 October 2019, Hong Kong