Go Tell Mama!

Opening reception Fri., April 11, 6-9 p.m., runs Sat., April 12-Sun., April 13, noon-6 p.m., 16 E. Springer St., Mount Airy, gotellmama.org, creativerescue.org.

by Patrick Rapa

visual art

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

By now you've seen Ray Noland's handiwork — his iconic, larger-than-life images of Barack Obama started popping up in windows and on blogs since before the Illinois senator even entered the presidential race. The Chicago-based Noland (who runs gotellmama.org and creativerescue.org) calls it an "independent political propaganda campaign," which is kinda funny when you think about it: They're taking some obvious cues from hipster clip artist Shepard Fairey of "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" fame. Fairey's idea was to turn classic wartime and commercial propaganda on its ear by spreading a nonsense slogan and promoting a nonsense movement. Now here we are returning the simplified message and blocky imagery to its origins with this "Go Tell Mama I'm For Obama" movement (which makes a campaign stop in Mount Airy this weekend). But are we too cynical or too jaded to obey a poster?

Opening reception Fri., April 11, 6-9 p.m., runs Sat., April 12-Sun., April 13, noon-6 p.m., 16 E. Springer St., Mount Airy, gotellmama.org, creativerescue.org.