Anyone else think this is a cool pic?

[Unsane]

At least from an artistic standpoint?

Here's info on the artist (from the Chicago Tribune): http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-0207obamaartistfeb07,1,1774363.story

[ElsewheresDaughter]

1. Jays'us it's St Obama

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. LOL

:spray:

[Thepricebreaker]

2. Kinda looks like a black jesus moment to me...

Its a cool pic, but for president... no... though I do support him for president

[earthside]

3. I'm pro-Obama ....

... and I really dislike it.

It looks science fictiony -- very cultish

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. I can totally see it as a special postage stamp :^)

[conservdem]

6. Not me. I support him, but this to me is not a good pic.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

7. No. It's Creepy.

[Emit]

8. Here's info on the artist

Video at link

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-0207obamaartistfeb07,1,1774363.story

Designer behind Obama mystery art

Designer behind Obama mystery art
By Colleen Mastony

Tribune reporter

February 7, 2008

The posters and stenciled graffiti appeared one night out of nowhere, slapped by unseen hands on street corners and boarded buildings around the city. Each poster bore the image of a determined-looking Barack Obama -- painted in warm hues and ringed with sun rays. "It stopped me in my tracks," said John Stoops, 34, a collector of street art who spotted one poster on a construction barrier. "I thought, 'Who's doing this?'"

A small but colorful part of Obama iconography, the mysterious posters first appeared this summer in Chicago and have since ended up on streets as far away as Detroit, New York and California. The only clue to their source appeared at the bottom right corner of each print, where the artist's street name, "CRO," is printed in tiny lettering.

A Google search for CRO turns up 16 million hits. But a hunt through the Internet morass eventually leads to a Web site (gotellmama.org), which leads to an e-mail address, which eventually leads to a guy named Ray.

Ray turns out to be Ray Noland, a reed-thin 35-year-old Chicago freelance graphic artist, who has launched an unpaid, unauthorized one-man street art campaign on behalf of Obama. Over the last year and a half, Noland has designed and distributed hundreds of posters out of his Pilsen apartment, a fourth-floor walk-up packed with his Obama-inspired paintings, prints and T-shirts.

Noland is part of a recent boom in Obama Art, works that depict the candidate in every medium from oil on canvas to paper mache. The acclaimed poster artist Shepard Fairey last month released a limited-edition Obama print. In April, a Chicago art student created a stir with an Obama-as-messiah statue, made of paper and glue. And Sunday, supporters at a rally in Los Angeles waved huge Obama signs designed in the stark, colorful style of Andy Warhol.

Political art is a phenomenon that "goes back to Jefferson and probably Washington too," noted Larry Bird, political curator at the National Museum of American History. Today, campaigns work vigorously to control the message, often refusing to allow supporters to bring their own signs and instead mass producing placards that look "homemade." Such a heavily-orchestrated political environment can make original images even more striking. "In this day and age, when everything is focus-grouped tested and gone over, it's refreshing when you do stumble upon a sign that was made by the person carrying it."

So far, Noland's underground campaign remains a shoe-string operation. He has sold only one design to the official Obama campaign, a poster to publicize a New York City rally, he says. Otherwise, he remains a guerrilla street marketer of sorts, who survives on the occasional freelance gig as a commercial artist.

Hip-hop sensibility

~snip~

[Unsane]

12. Thanks.

I added your link in my OP. Is this ok?

[Emit]

18. Sure -- I read this the other day and, as an artist myself, it's an interesting read

He's made some cool stuff. As to the one you posted, it is just one of many, and, in essence, and I caution viewers to refrain from judging it solely out of the context of his entire portfolio of his Obama pieces. He's a street artist -- with a personal message. That alone should please Democrats, the party of the people, because the Obama campaign did not seek this artist out, nor have they tried very hard to control the artist's message, as so many political campaigns do. I recall at a Kerry/Edwards event that I volunteered for as the 'Sign Coordinator' -- we had to use only the signs that the campaign front person brought with them. No others were allowed, especially homemade signs. We had to instruct thousands to leave their hand made signs at the door, in the trash.

edit spelling

[Marie26]

16. "Obama iconography"

I didn't see this article until after my post - but it's funny that this article also refers to it as iconography. That's pretty creepy, sorry.

[Emit]

22. As an artist familiar with and responsible for some guerrilla artwork myself

I find his passion intriguing. I think it speaks volumes.

[Marie26]

23. It does speak volumes.

Obama has tapped into something very powerful - which some find exhilarating and others scary. The relationship to religious iconography isn't a coincidence. I think we are, collectively, looking for a saviour.

[Emit]

29. A possible symptom of our country in shock?

It's a fascinating phenomenon we're experiencing. I tend to be on the outside looking in, not having a horse in the race, so to speak (only by default). And further, I've always found it hard ot get into idolatry.

[Kaylee]

9. Nah....not my favorite.

But I'm sure somebody, somewhere does.

Edited: Because I see that it was something the artist felt compelled to do on his own.

[Quixote1818]

10. I support Obama but that does look cultist to me. nt

[samdogmom]

11. Not me at all! Too reminiscent of all those Bush/halo photos. YUCK!

[psychopomp]

13. That pic is god-awful

The American President is not supposed to be a king; we are not to put them on a pedestal. Give them the respect the office should deserve but keep it real.

And those eyes remind me of that Haley-Bopp guy who got all his people to put on the same sneakers so they could hitch a ride on a UFO.:silly:

[Marie26]

14. Eek! No.

It looks like an Orthodox religious icon. The Eastern Orthodox Church has icons of various religious saints, with a mystical halo around their heads and an expression of blessed holiness on their face. This reminds me of that. It's not very good for rebutting the cult-y slam.

[Maddy McCall]

15. Only Obama can save you from your sins.

That's what that says. Obama the Christ. :scared: :freak:

[Schema Thing]

17. It's very organic and kind of tribal or at least third world feeling to me.

and yeah, cool too.

[Speck Tater]

19. Remember those pictures with the halo around Bush's head?

It looked stupid doing it to Bush, it would look stupid doing it to Hillary, it looks stupid doing it to Obama.

[Colobo]

20. It's cool. Kinda scary, though.

[blogslut]

21. I dig it

Barack Obama is inspiring art. That is never a bad thing.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

24. bless me Obama for I have sinned...it has been ____ since my last confession

[FrenchieCat]

25. Sinned has to "n"s, but I'm sure you knew that!

You will need to confess much more before the General Election is over.

[NastyRiffraff]

26. Very very creepy

This is obviously done by a good artist, but part of art's appeal is its subject matter. I DON'T think the Obama "movement" (as he himself calls it) is a cult, because that term has a very specific definition. But this kind of thing encourages people who are calling it a cult.

Please...no more halos around a politician's head!

[LWolf]

27. It's a scary pic,

presenting him as somehow anointed or chosen by god.

We HATED republicans for thinking the same thing about GWB.

This very tendency of people to think that Obama is somehow "the chosen one" or the "anointed one" is one of his biggest turn-offs.

The other being his republican-like take on too many issues.

[BlackVelvet04]

28. Yeah, like this one....

congratulations....you have officially become as bad as bushbots.

[jlake]

30. Jesus Christ! No, there is no cult.

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[jlake]

31. Obama campaigns for our sins.

[quantass]

32. I like it ... nice design ... -- Feels very Brazilian in inspiration