As much as I’d like to, I can’t pretend to know him well. But what little I do know is that Ray is making some of the most iconic and important art to come out of Chicago since Carl Sandburg wrote about a “City of the Big Shoulders.” CRO is currently in Asheville, North Carolina, fundraising for a new street art campaign combating the ignorance and idiocy that is the Tea Party Express. Can you dig it? Read more below and consider participating in The People’s Party, either by donating to the cause or spreading the word by downloading this free poster and putting it up WHERE FREEDOM RINGS.

Blago’s Shoe Shine © CRO 2009

Angeline: Why did you leave Chicago for Asheville? What have you been up to down there?
CRO: Sometimes you feel the world is telling you things. You can either ignore these messages or listen. I felt I needed a bit of a break. The past 3 years really wore me out. For as much beauty as I saw, there were many things that really let me down. Originally, I thought I would come here and write a book about my Obama experience but through the process of thinking about it realized that I actually don’t really care about that.

A: In retrospect, how has your experience working on “Go Tell Mama!” shaped your work today?
C: Oddly enough it’s actually made me more cynical and apathetic. GTM gave me a chance to conduct a bit of a public experiment. I got to see the political inner workings of things. I also got to see how manipulative mainstream media is firsthand. It’s all kind of a joke. Sometimes it’s better to just eat the sausage, metaphorically speaking. Once you see how it’s made and what’s in it, it’s a let down. As Americans we are getting so worked over. Politics is not about having the tough conversations. Sadly, it’s simply about winning.

No Race Creme Series: American Values © CRO 2010

Proposed route of Anti-Teabagger poster campaign (along same route as the Tea Bagger Express).

A: What and Who is The People’s Party?
C: The People’s Party is you and me. As some of you know, the Supreme Court recently ruled corporations can now dump as much of their money into politics as they please. During the election of 2008 regular people like myself could use the Internet in extraordinary ways–we had a voice like never before. For a time the scales had become balanced. Right now it seems like most folks could care less. But just wait til the next election comes around and your voice is drowned out by the constant onslaught of corporate influenced ads that will saturate your television. If regular people don’t find some way to unite themselves we are in for one hell of a shit future. Most of America believes everything they see on TV. The brainwashing will continue but on a grand scale. The People’s Party is an attempt to unite like minds whether Black, White, Gay, Straight, Woman or Man. As soon as we can stop bickering amongst ourselves and realize we have more in common and who the real enemy is we can actually take steps to make this country more than a shell of itself. Obama talks about calling people out but I still see him beating around the bush. My first goal with the People’s Party is calling out the Tea Bag Express and conveying how ignorant and misinformed they are. How the base of their movement draws upon historically racist fears. If you feel the same please support this mission.

A: What do you think of your peers, specifically those working in graphic design or street art? Are there any contemporary artists you especially admire and support?
C: There are too many to list them all but a few include; Banksy, Mr. Eddie, Scot Lafavor, El Mac, CHOR Boogie, Cody Hudson, Chris Silva, Date Farmers, Maya Hayuk, David Ellis, Juan Chavez, STATIK, and SWOON. I like creative expression in general and can usually gain something from everyone’s voice. With that said, personally, I like work that has just as much, if not more, substance as style. I’m a nerd, I like to use my brain as much as my eyes. I need work that makes me think about it long after I’ve seen it. Like a good movie, do you wanna just sell a bunch of tickets or do you wanna make a lasting impact?

A: What are some of the challenges you encounter in your day-to-day artistic practice?
C: I get the impression there are forces out there who really don’t want to hear what I have to say and have the power to censor me. They would rather I make non-confrontational pretty pictures of kids dancing around a tree. I struggle with trying to figure out ways to have conversations directly with the people and how to cut out the middlemen – who’d like to control the information. Day-to-day I struggle with the same issues most Americans deal with – how to pay bills, how to get clients to pay me on-time and value my work and how to fund my ideas.

A: You’ve got a long-term collaboration going on with Motionographer Rebecca Berdel for Mocro.tv. Tell us about that. What have you learned about the creative process from this relationship?
C: When Rebecca and I are at our best we make some impressive work. When we aren’t, it can get difficult. At times we debate over the direction of the work like the Coen Bros fighting about the direction of a scene in The Big Lebowski. I bring certain things to the table she can’t and in return she does the same. You know, I’ve learned a lot about letting things go. Collaboration can be tough. Ultimately you really have to learn how to respect one another on an equal playing field.

A: Where do you hope to be in a year with your career? What do you hope to accomplish?
C: This is my life. I don’t really have aspirations to work for a corporate agency or some other full-time job. The future is about figuring out how to prosper as an independent participant in the global market. I only want the freedom to produce my ideas and speak truth. That is happiness.

I hope my work is a simple document of time. When I’m not around anymore I hope folks can look back at my work and get a clear understanding of what it felt like to be an American in the 21st century. I like to think I make work about issues we all think about but don’t really like to talk about or simply ignore. I’m not trying to sugar coat anything or pretend this country has evolved somewhere that it hasn’t. After traveling this country coast-to-coast I understand we still have major issues. Sure we may not be talking about burning crosses and fire hoses but we are talking about a culture of subtle, quiet self-segregation. I mean only 5% of Americans attend integrated churches. For me that’s a red flag. I’m giving you the straight dope. I hope we stop lying to ourselves about this post-racial crap and have the conversations we need to have to actually take steps forward.

The DADT Problem © CRO 2010

A: A lot of your work is about identity. How has your understanding of your own identity informed how you choose to portray identity, and how you identify with your audience? 
C: I’d rather not think about identity but I am confronted with it practically everyday. What does it mean to be American? What are the branded messages conscious and unconscious society tells us about ourselves? How is identity defined for many by what we see on TV and how does that differ from reality? Much of my work is about coming to terms with this. Our societal problems have been carefully crafted and orchestrated for years and have developed over generations. I reject many of these notions and my work is an ongoing attempt to redefine or re-brand them. I can empathize with gender and LGBT issues and I hope they can empathize with me.

A: Describe the Internet. In five words.
C: Infinite Access Uncensored Immediate Freedom

CRO by Sarah Hoskins

Ray Noland is an artist and designer working under the alias CRO. He is the creator of “GoTellMama!” – a grassroots Obama art, video and street campaign which toured the country during the election of ’08. He is also the artist behind the now iconic “Run, Blago, Run” street art phenomenon. Noland also independently published the now-defunct online magazine BLACKLIST® (’03-’06). He has a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (’95) and has worked professionally as an art director and brand designer. His art & illustrations have been published throughout the US and Europe and are in the collections of the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian. Though Noland’s work has been displayed in galleries in Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and Atlanta, he is more familiar with renting vacant storefronts and converting them into DIY art spaces.

creativerescue.org

Ile-a-Vache, Haiti by Patrick Lucien, from the Facebook Group: Support Tourism in Haiti

Angeline: What is your relationship to Haiti? How many times have you visited?
Marie: I was born in Haiti in 1984 and moved to the United States with my parents and my older sister in 1989 at the age of 5. I left behind 3 brothers because of Visa Issues. I’ve only visited once–for one month–since I left.

A: What was it like the last time you visited? What were your impressions?
M: I was last in Haiti in 2000. Other members of my family visit Haiti frequently. For some reason I was always too busy and involved in other projects to visit. I regret that now. When I stepped off the plane in 2000, I experienced a culture shock. How could I experience a culture shock when it was my own culture? Everything is done differently in Haiti. The richness of tropical colors, the comforting smell of the roadside food, and the cacophony of scooters roaring, vendors yelling, people laughing or arguing in Port-Au-Prince all contribute to a startling experience. When you leave the airport the country and the people waste no time on introductions. You are thrown into the thick of it. I remember how big my sixteen year-old eyes grew, upon passing numerous shanty towns on the way to my brothers’ house. I grew up in the suburbs of New York City. Until then, this degree of poverty was never tangible to me. Only described.

A: What do you know about Voodoo?
M: I didn’t grow up with much knowledge of Voodoo. My family is Catholic. 80% of the Haitian population is Catholic. Some practice Voodoo along with Catholicism. It was something that was frowned upon in my immediate and extended family. I don’t view it negatively but I think it is misunderstood. This misunderstanding of Voodoo as “black magic” has made Haitian Diaspora very uncomfortable discussing it. It is unfortunate that a country with such a diverse wealth of history, art and culture would be minimized to “The Voodoo Country.” We want people to shift their focus from Voodoo dolls and chicken blood to other national treasures and pastimes.

A: What do you love most about Haiti? What do you wish could change about Haiti?
M: I think Haiti’s strengths are its people. We are strong, passionate, and not afraid to speak our mind (we are not a sugar coating people). These values are reflected in the traditional Haitian arts, like the musics Konpa, Rara, and Mizik rasin, as well as the visual arts and crafts of woodworking, painting and sculpture. Chicagoans can see some of this work in their own city at Nicole Gallery, a Haitian and Diaspora gallery, who are having a benefit this weekend for Centre D’Art de Port-Au-Prince, where its founder began her career as a curator and businesswoman. …I wish there was less corruption in Haiti. I don’t know how deep it goes because I don’t live there but I suspect those who need the help the most are often the last to reap the benefits of prosperity. I think this disaster has highlighted this problem for the whole world to see.

A: Do you feel your friends and coworkers–average Americans–have a good understanding of Haiti?
M: I think most people know what they have heard or read in the news. Sometimes its the Hollywood Voodoo version and other times its the embittered starving country version.

A: How do you feel about the way the American media has portrayed Haiti in recent years?
M: I don’t think Haiti has been misrepresented on the whole. I do think that the whole story has not been told. There are great things happening in Haiti that are not shown. Let’s show the progress that has been made. Stability in the government, roads being built, violence diminished. I was watching all the news networks during the first days of this disaster–like the rest of the world–and noticed a key moment. One of the anchors asked the field reporter if there was concern about violence “since Haiti was one of the most violent nations in the area.” The field reporter corrected the anchor stating that Haiti has a lower rate of violence compared to the rest of the Caribbean. This is a common misconception. I’m not saying it’s the safest place in the world but it certainty does not merit consistent reference as Among The Most Dangerous. That being said, I would still contact the US Embassy before going to know all the potential risks.

A: Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. How can Americans and Haitians work together to combat poverty and establish sustainable economic practice?
M: I think that the Haitian government needs to take a more active role in fostering sustainable farming because the land has been ravaged by slash and burn agriculture. This might already be a focus, but if so it needs to develop into a much larger program. Americans and others in the world should consider investing in Haitian business. A lot of business left Haiti a long time ago… We need renewed interest in Tourism. It’s a beautiful country with lots to offer. I know that there are various Haitian government entities pushing for more tourism to our side of the island. We need to rebrand the country.

A: Besides donating money, what are some creative ways we can help support our neighbors in Haiti?
M: I suggest that people who are interested do some research about the country. I really think knowledge is the first step.

Marie (middle, third from right) and her family in 2008

A: Last week I heard that up to hundreds of Haitian orphans will be arriving by plane to Chicago (via the Department of Child Welfare) in the coming weeks and are in need of French-speaking foster caretakers. What would you say to a Chicagoan who qualifies but is hesitant to invite a stranger and foreigner into their home, in order to urge them to reconsider?
M: These children need a smiling face. They have been through unimaginable trauma and just need someone to tell them that the world is not going to come crashing down again. Nothing special, just human kindness. Help if you can. Kindness knows no geographic boundaries or language barriers.

Recommended websites: Heritage Konpa, Facebook Group: Support Tourism in Haiti, Nicole Gallery

Marie Casimir is a Haitian-American writer and performer who lives in Chicago and was raised in New York State. She is currently the Communications Associate at Links Hall where she promotes the work of a diverse group of independent performing artists. Marie holds a B.A. in Journalism from Ithaca College, with a minor in Art History. Marie is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Non-Profit Management at North Park University. She has family in Haiti who were fortunate to have survived the Earthquake. They are well and counting their blessings.