COSTA MESA

Chairman Mao’s face--10 versions of it, actually--is on the wall of the Orange County Museum of Art’s satellite gallery at South Coast Plaza as part of “In Color,” the museum’s silk-screen exhibit.

And though the image of a Communist icon seems a little incongruous in this mecca of conspicuous consumption, the museum’s assistant curator, Sarah Vure, argues that positioning this particular exhibit in such a mainstream gallery makes a lot of sense.

Silk-screen is a medium that aims at a mass audience, she said. Whether it’s used for commercial ends or for high art products like Andy Warhol’s 1972 “Mao” series, silk-screen’s intense graphics and bold color lend themselves to vivid, immediate communication, she said.

The free exhibit runs through March 12. Information: (949) 759-1122.