Today's FLP (or FLPs) come from the Joel Cooner Gallery. They're called door boards, and they are exactly what they sound like: boards that are hung over and around doors.
Or the openings to homes, anyway.
These are from the Star Mountains in central Papua New Guinea from the Ok mountain culture. (Pronounced "oak.") "The designs are visual abstractions of the human form," Cooner explains.
It's kind of amazing to think that no matter where you go; no matter what the style of life; no matter how little people may have - there is art. Pieces like these decorated homes, welcomed guests, and established a sense of ownership and design. The grade of craftsmanship is initially surprising -- though it shouldn't be.
Comfort and affluence does not an artist make.
The Joel Cooner Gallery is known for showing strange and unusual pieces from all around the world. It's an interesting experience to walk through the gallery and see the pieces out of context, like these doors hanging in the gallery instead of outside of a home in Papua New Guinea, the gallery walls bringing them to the level of art where they belong.
Of course, it makes me want to see them in person, in situ. One day.
See them at the Joel Cooner Gallery, 1601 Dragon Street, 214-747-3603, www.joelcooner.com.
