Fornasetti - Designer of Dreams

"Glorious . . . almost as good as owning one of the things themselves."_The World of Interiors Piero Fornasetti lived and worked in Milan from 1935 until his death in 1988. During this long career he established an enduring reputation as a designer with a style that was distinctly his own_a style based on illusion, architectural perspectives, and a host of personal leitmotifs, such as the sun, playing cards, fish, and flowers, from which he spun seemingly endless variations. Fornasetti applied his decorative vocabulary to an astonishing array of objects_hats, vests, pipes, ashtrays, chairs, plates, cabinets, pianos, ocean liners_and transformed them by the application of unexpected images. Today his work seems more contemporary and is more popular than ever. Designers and collectors celebrate his use of allusion, unsettling images, and striking juxtaposition to create unique, whimsical objects. Fornasetti's masterpieces continue to shock, delight, and inspire. 116 color and 484 black-and-white photographs and illustrations.