Label Type
Technique or ProcessLabel
Noodle Press Factory
Shang Yuzhuo (Chinese, b. 1945)
ca. 1970
Paint on rice paper
Gift of Andrea and Irv Green, 2019.1.9Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
By portraying humble labor in a dignified or prominent way, the artist foreshadows the ideological shift toward glorifying manual work. The emphasis on manual work and production reflects the valorization of the working class that was central to Communist propaganda. By elevating everyday laborers to subjects worthy of artistic representation, the painting aligns with the broader state effort to redefine cultural values – placing farmers, factory workers, and artisans at the heart of national identity. This approach not only celebrated collective labor but also served to reinforce political ideals and promote a unified socialist vision of progress.
Shang painted Noodle Press Factory in the 1970s while working in a production brigade that made noodles from bean flour. This was one of her earliest paintings. Although her village’s main occupation was farming, Shang worked in a sideline group focused on food production – a job that allowed her to avoid field labor. In this piece, she illustrates her experience making noodles, a subject drawn from her daily life. The painting was later featured in a local newspaper.