Maoism and the French Posters of 1968

This project establishes the significance of Maoism for a pivotal historical moment in the postwar period, in one of the most important centers of Western culture in the world. The silkscreen posters of May 1968 are often celebrated as an unprecedented example of liberated public expression evolving out of France’s revolutionary traditions. This study challenges that view demonstrating that the posters were modeled on the large character posters known as dazibao, which accompanied the Chinese Cultural Revolution starting in 1966. Not only is it the first monograph on the subject, eventually it will be complemented by a digital catalogue raisonné, featuring over 1000 entries. Together the two-volume set will form a valuable scholarly resource. Maoism and the French Posters of 1968 is slated for publication with Brill in 2023.