Significance of Red in Landscape Paintings in 1960s Revolutionary China.?

Question

More Specifically I'm looking at Li Keran's A Thousand Mountains Gone Red and Layers All Stained 1963. He did other very similar paintings. I couldnt find this one on google but is very similar to "all the mountains blanketed in Red." I know Li Keran is a fusion between traditional and western Art. I know that he was going for realism which is why im having trouble understanding the red. At first I thought it was depicting how all of China was stained by socialist efforts esp. after the failure of the great leap forward but then i heard he is a super realist. Anybody can help me understand his style, this painting and just useful information about this painting in general? What was his intention or symbols decoded?

 

Answer 1

I can't find this specific painting on line. But there is an excellent article about his work in general at http://www.uky.edu/Centers/Asia/SECAAS/Seras/2010/15_Hsiao_and_Ross.pdf

and everything that is said about his style is almost certainly applicable to the painting you are analysising. 

Originally The color red symbolizes good fortune and joy to the Chinese people.

In modern times, especially after the Chinese Communist Party took

power, the color red is used widely and has started to represent

danger, blood, violence and radical actions.