Morning Comrades and welcome back to a new dispatch in this series, this time on the vibrant Vietnamese Propaganda Art. As always, this is a mere glimpse into the depth of this particular art form and should at best serve as an introduction to anyone interested. Given the space & size restraints of this format, I am only scratching the surface here.
The variety and compelling individuality of Vietnamese propaganda art, and the circumstances under which it was created, define and distinguish it from almost all other art of its kind. Even now, almost fifty years after the fall of Saigon, remarkably little is known about the art, or the artists who created it.
These sources can, at best, only provide a limited and superficial impression of this fascinating art and the many stories it has to tell. The most significant examples of the range and variety of original Vietnamese propaganda art are somewhat harder to find. These were created during more than thirty years of ceaseless war resulting in unimaginable sacrifice and hardship. Yet almost in defiance of these tragic times and circumstances, a pervading sense of humanity speaks though the work, and one can even find beauty alongside the bayonets, bullets and flaming aircraft. Hatred or anger is rarely depicted, and one can clearly feel the yearning and determination for national unification, freedom from foreign occupation and hope for peace underpinning all the works created.
“Our hearts beat the same rhythm with that of our nation. At that time everyone, every youth all directed their burning soul to the love for our Nation,” Le Dung (b.1948) “
The first printed appearance of propaganda work as such in Vietnam is attributed to an image that appeared in the Doc Lap (independence) newspaper created by Ho Chi Minh himself in 1941 whilst working under the name Nguyen Ai Quoc.
Trumpeter for the Independence of Vietnam’ comprised a figure whose body and legs form the words ‘Doc Lap Vietnam’. Soon, established artists of the time, many of whom had studied and or taught at the French colonial and grandly-named Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts de L’Indochina (1925-1945) were creating propaganda art. There were also schools in Hue and the Ecole des Dessins in Saigon, which had opened 12 years prior to the Ecole Superieure in 1913.
These schools provided students with a classical fine arts curriculum in the Western tradition and during the ensuing decades, the great majority of the graduates and students of Facing Page: The Hung Kings retained our homeland, now we must together retain our nation Doan 1966 - 80 x 55cm6 the school turned their artistic talents to creating anti-French and American propaganda posters and cartoons.
“Artists are also soldiers, soldiers on the culture front” Nguyen Thu, quoting Ho Chi Minh
FACI, the first art school of Vietnam that opened in 1925 and closed in 1945, was re-established as the Fine Arts College of Vietnam directly under the Ministry of Culture and Information. North Vietnamese artists were sent to study Soviet Social Realist art, and Soviet teachers were imported to teach at the school. In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson sent US troops to staunch the growing “Communist menace” looming from North Vietnam. Artists were recruited to accompany Viet Cong combat troops and wage their war of resistance.
Poster propaganda art became the prevalent North Vietnamese style, and artists were sent to live with peasants and workers and portray them in a favourable light. Artists also accompanied guerrilla soldiers into the field, and carried their own weapons, dried food, as well as spent bombshell casings that they used to protect their rolled-up artworks against the extreme, dangerous conditions. Paper and supplies were scarce. Ink might be mixed from gun grease and burnt pot scrapings. Some drew and wrote on the back of betel leaves. When paintbrushes ran out, pineapple roots were substituted. The color orange was mixed from turmeric or rust, yellow was extracted from malaria medicine, and red from local rocks. Sketches had to be created on the fly beneath a sky discharging B52 bombs. The war, for the most part, was kept out of Saigon where French and even a smattering of American artistic influences prevailed until 1967, when riots broke out against the U.S. troops.
The Vietnamese war ended on April 30, 1975, and the North Vietnamese Communist Party took control of the country and art students at the National College of Fine Arts of Saigon became part of the Military Reserve Forces who then continued producing art for the revolution that was now to start in earnest with the reunification of the country.
As always, thank you for your time, interest and support,
Yours,
V.