Five Star | Folk art Flag depiction Traditional social values |
F
lag symbols crop up everywhere. This one was hanging outside an antique shop on Pine Street in Warrensburg. It was constructed of five planks of painted wood. The rational behind the number of stars and their placement is unknown, but probably held significance for the originating craftsperson.
This flag entity could be classified as folk art. What some people label as folk art, others categorize as products from primitive, untrained practitioners. One thing is certain; folk art is never the art of the elite. Folk art is the creative expression of average people making functional and decorative objects that are often oddly attractive. In addition, these objects convey meaning and importance about a particular culture. Many folk artists do not necessarily listen to anyone else's traditions, but rather concoct their own.
The flag is now gone, and so is the shop. The seedy Pine Street bars remain. Warrensburg doesn't seem to sport a population that places much value on antiques.
“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” - Jonathan Swift
