• By ROBIN MILLER
• Arts writer
• Published: Feb 7, 2010

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Mao Zedong looms and watches as western culture seeps into everyday life in China.

His reflection is constant in the water, his image constantly alongside those of pop culture. Which is really a no-no in China.

Nothing is supposed to be placed above Mao’s image. Nothing.

Yet his face appears below a Pizza Hut sign in one of the Liu brothers’ oil paintings. The piece is part of their Welcome the Famous Brands to China series, which also includes bright sculptures created from found material and embroidered banners so detailed that they appear to be painted.

Mao appears below Sylvester Stallone in one of the banners.

Yes, western pop culture is welcome. Famous brands are welcome.

But western ideas? That poses a problem.

“One of the ideas we get from this exhibition is the Chinese government likes capitalism and the benefits capitalism brings with this,” said Lee A. Gray, curator of exhibitions and collections at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette. “But the government doesn’t want to give its citizens the individual freedom that comes with capitalism.”

But if the Liu brothers’ depiction of China’s evolution is accurate, the government may have a tough time juggling western culture and communist tradition. Coca-Cola and Stallone seem to have grown bigger than life, even with Mao watching.

Gray stands among the Liu brothers’ work, all of which greets visitors to the exhibit East/West: Visually Speaking. She spent two years putting this exhibit together. It’s a first in so many ways. For one, this is the first comprehensive exhibit of contemporary Chinese art to show in the South. The show features pieces by 13 artists whose works reference western stylistic history.

It’s also the first time such an exhibit will travel to other museums throughout the United States after leaving the university museum in May. And it’s the first time many of the featured artists will be involved in a traveling show.

“Some of the artists came to the opening on Jan. 24,” Gray said. “They were amazed by the space we have, and they were all taking pictures. They also loved the billboard advertising the exhibit. We drove them to it, and each artist had to have his picture taken in front of it.”

Gray laughs. The artists are clearly thrilled at this chance to show their work in Louisiana.