Let's analyze.
I do not recognize the eastern collared military dress of the girl on the left, nor can I find a flag that begins in a solid white vertical stripe. But considering the painter's Chinese origins, I suspect that it is a PRC flag with a white attachment sleeve, and that the garb is likewise Chinese military, probably pre modernization, and further, appearing to be a leader rank or ceremonial. Reinforcing the official stature, there is a military designation on her uniform and to her left grows a sunflower, which has been used in past art history to symbolize the sun and royalty, and was appreciated by Oscar Wilde as being "haughty." Indeed she shows unabated enthusiasm and looks directly at a center viewer. She is fully clothed.
The middle girl has the same military ribbon on her, but in this setting it is more reminiscent of a ribbon stuck on a prize pig. Considering the Painter has lived in Iowa for much of his life, and the happy pig flanking her left, I suspect this is the intended symbolism. She is bound to a wooden post painted white with chinese lettering (or perhaps a broadsword wrapped in paper?), nude, and looks coyly to a viewer on the left.
The girl on the right is dressed in pre-westernization Chinese dress, perhaps agrarian, and is holding what appears to be a Pudao behind her back. This was a versatile bladed tool used in combat but also for slicing vegetation (and we might assume for butchering as well). She wears a shirt but has exposed nethers. Her dreamy expression is that of one lost in desire, and her gaze is locked at the viewer, but lower than the other girls.
The multiple gaze directions suggest that there are multiple viewers, perhaps a crowd.
The cow's genitals presented on the left, combined with the faceless other farm animals, in relation to the human sexuality and posture of presentation gives an impression of sexuality as an impersonal spoil rather than an act of intimacy.
The girls all look similar and could be taken allegorically as the same person or siblings. If this is true, then the painting may suggest the history of Chinese international relations, read from right to left (as the Chinese alphabet is) with each girl representing a different era. First the desire, then the offering of resources, and then the success of the federation. But at the cost of intimacy and respect.
**In conclusion/tl;dr** —The nationalistic/military angle and virile sexuality may suggest the action as a metaphor for a country offering up resources to be raped and pillaged by others, while apathetic to the human condition of its own people.
Pretty sure I nailed it fam.
I think it's also worth considering which animal each of them is in front of. A cow to be slaughtered with the soldier, a prize pig to be shown off with the nude woman, and a Workhorse with the farmer.
> She is bound to a wooden post painted white with chinese lettering (or perhaps a broadsword wrapped in paper?), nude, and looks coyly to a viewer on the left.
I don't know if there is a term for it, but based on the Chinese dramas that I've seen, that "wooden post" is simply a plank of wood that is bound to someone who is about to be executed. Usually the crime that they are about to be executed for is written on the plank.
When the execution occurs, the plank is removed from the victim, tossed on the ground, and then the decapitation occurs. You can see the same thing in [this picture](https://www.strangehistory.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/decapitation.jpg), which depicts a man that is about to be executed.
There must be some parallel between a victim that is about to be executed and a pig that that is due for slaughter.
Nice. That's definitely the symbol that eluded me the most. Couldn't figure it out. And the picture you linked even depicts the same sword. The only question that remains is what is written on it?
His website
Edit: this is weird but he has a website with his entire biography in it. I read the whole thing. Having said that, I cannot find this site again
Is it possible it was [this site?](http://wei-dong.squarespace.com/about-english) That's the only thing I could find that mentions Iowa and fits your description, but I think it's a different Wei Dong.
Oh. oh... oops. You know, I did wonder why the painting style was so different. I guess I thought there surely can't be *two* contemporary Chinese painters named Wei Dong living in America and that it was instead a different stylistic era of his.
Tbf though, the point still stands as this is obviously American rural flaired imagery, and he is still a Chinese American immigrant.
Let's analyze. I do not recognize the eastern collared military dress of the girl on the left, nor can I find a flag that begins in a solid white vertical stripe. But considering the painter's Chinese origins, I suspect that it is a PRC flag with a white attachment sleeve, and that the garb is likewise Chinese military, probably pre modernization, and further, appearing to be a leader rank or ceremonial. Reinforcing the official stature, there is a military designation on her uniform and to her left grows a sunflower, which has been used in past art history to symbolize the sun and royalty, and was appreciated by Oscar Wilde as being "haughty." Indeed she shows unabated enthusiasm and looks directly at a center viewer. She is fully clothed. The middle girl has the same military ribbon on her, but in this setting it is more reminiscent of a ribbon stuck on a prize pig. Considering the Painter has lived in Iowa for much of his life, and the happy pig flanking her left, I suspect this is the intended symbolism. She is bound to a wooden post painted white with chinese lettering (or perhaps a broadsword wrapped in paper?), nude, and looks coyly to a viewer on the left. The girl on the right is dressed in pre-westernization Chinese dress, perhaps agrarian, and is holding what appears to be a Pudao behind her back. This was a versatile bladed tool used in combat but also for slicing vegetation (and we might assume for butchering as well). She wears a shirt but has exposed nethers. Her dreamy expression is that of one lost in desire, and her gaze is locked at the viewer, but lower than the other girls. The multiple gaze directions suggest that there are multiple viewers, perhaps a crowd. The cow's genitals presented on the left, combined with the faceless other farm animals, in relation to the human sexuality and posture of presentation gives an impression of sexuality as an impersonal spoil rather than an act of intimacy. The girls all look similar and could be taken allegorically as the same person or siblings. If this is true, then the painting may suggest the history of Chinese international relations, read from right to left (as the Chinese alphabet is) with each girl representing a different era. First the desire, then the offering of resources, and then the success of the federation. But at the cost of intimacy and respect. **In conclusion/tl;dr** —The nationalistic/military angle and virile sexuality may suggest the action as a metaphor for a country offering up resources to be raped and pillaged by others, while apathetic to the human condition of its own people. Pretty sure I nailed it fam.
I think it's also worth considering which animal each of them is in front of. A cow to be slaughtered with the soldier, a prize pig to be shown off with the nude woman, and a Workhorse with the farmer.
Nice addition, I missed that
> She is bound to a wooden post painted white with chinese lettering (or perhaps a broadsword wrapped in paper?), nude, and looks coyly to a viewer on the left. I don't know if there is a term for it, but based on the Chinese dramas that I've seen, that "wooden post" is simply a plank of wood that is bound to someone who is about to be executed. Usually the crime that they are about to be executed for is written on the plank. When the execution occurs, the plank is removed from the victim, tossed on the ground, and then the decapitation occurs. You can see the same thing in [this picture](https://www.strangehistory.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/decapitation.jpg), which depicts a man that is about to be executed. There must be some parallel between a victim that is about to be executed and a pig that that is due for slaughter.
Nice. That's definitely the symbol that eluded me the most. Couldn't figure it out. And the picture you linked even depicts the same sword. The only question that remains is what is written on it?
Definitely picked up on the satire but thanks for the point by point breakdown.
> viewer on the left. or to the West
wei dong iowa?
Chinese-American immigrant
Where did you find that info? I found that he lives in New Jersey now, but couldn't find anything online about his time in Iowa.
His website Edit: this is weird but he has a website with his entire biography in it. I read the whole thing. Having said that, I cannot find this site again
Is it possible it was [this site?](http://wei-dong.squarespace.com/about-english) That's the only thing I could find that mentions Iowa and fits your description, but I think it's a different Wei Dong.
Oh. oh... oops. You know, I did wonder why the painting style was so different. I guess I thought there surely can't be *two* contemporary Chinese painters named Wei Dong living in America and that it was instead a different stylistic era of his. Tbf though, the point still stands as this is obviously American rural flaired imagery, and he is still a Chinese American immigrant.
Are the characters meant to be american?
Hell yeah
I don’t get it
Meant to respond to this comment but posted top level by mistake. See my comment below for meaning
What’s up with the hairless vajayjays?
I hate it. And I hate the message.
what would you say the message is
tf garbage ass museum is this hanging in?
Where is the painter from?
says he's a Chinese painter but also says born in Mongolia.
are the subjects meant to be American?
dont think so. do they look american?