John Gallery The Tree House in Chiang Mai, Thailand
This hand-built, almost catacomb-like maze of narrow, intertwining corridors are filled floor to ceiling with the musings and artwork of one man, John Monoon, who began his adventure in 1980. Monoon continues expand the building and, to say the least, the volume of art—from cotton sheets on which he has painted scenes (often graced them with his commentary on life and living) to his hand-painted cards (“The pessimist sees the hole, the optimist sees the donut”). The accompanying commentary runs the gamut from rock lyrics to warm-hearted clichés, to uplifting messages. The action does not stop there—there are also artifacts from indigenous Thai peoples. It is a beautiful mix of whimsical, psychedelic, and hippy.
This hand-built, almost catacomb-like maze of narrow, intertwining corridors are filled floor to ceiling with the musings and artwork of one man, John Monoon, who began his adventure in 1980.
Monoon continues expand the building and, to say the least, the volume of art—from cotton sheets on which he has painted scenes (often graced them with his commentary on life and living) to his hand-painted cards (“The pessimist sees the hole, the optimist sees the donut”). The accompanying commentary runs the gamut from rock lyrics to warm-hearted clichés, to uplifting messages.
The action does not stop there—there are also artifacts from indigenous Thai peoples. It is a beautiful mix of whimsical, psychedelic, and hippy.
