Market Find/ Fornasetti

A big part of my inspiration and love of objects comes from Flea Markets, Most Stylists would agree that they prove to be a valuable resource, I often find that purchases can be a bit random though, Murphy’s law would have it that if you are looking for something for a particular story/ job in mind you often won’t find it that week, but go back the next after you needed it and the market will be teeming with that particular prop you needed, that’s why even if a little hard on the wallet at times, I try to pick up things as I see them, I like to put them in my back pocket for safe keeping, Often as a Stylist you will do “test” images to try and produce a body of work that is personal or speaks to the viewer, something about your particular take or aesthetic, Often these market finds can be the springboard for those tests.

This week I was lucky enough to stumble across a Fornasetti plate, Piero Fornasetti, most would be familiar with as the designer who lived and worked in Milan from 1935-1988, His style was based on illusionism, architectural perspectives and a host of personal motifs.

This plate is from the a plate and tea set that was inspired by his fascination of musical instruments, Musical instruments, a popular motif since the Renaissance in Art is a theme that he too picked up on and applied to many objects in his body of work including chairs, ashtrays, cupboards, glasses, He was an amazingly versatile designer whose body of work is astounding, While I love the theme of musical instruments, His other themes such as sun, hot air balloons, books, umbrellas, pipes, locks & keys, architecture, playing cards all hold a fascination for me, These everyday objects are used with such a sophisticated application, yet they still seem whimsical and slightly surreal.

His most famous work is probably 'Themes and Variations', a series of plates with faces of the beautiful Italian singer, Lina Cavalieri. These strange and fascinating objects include her face interspersed with a sun and a clock face and surrounded by a hot-air balloon. They are highly sought after by collectors.

I feel very lucky to have found this plate and I think it may cement an interest in collecting further vintage Fornasetti, stay posted!

I have owned a book for some time called “Fornasetti, Designer of Dreams” by Patrick Mauries, It is published by Thames and Hudson, 1991, Reprinted 2006
http://www.amazon.com/Fornasetti-Designer-Dreams-Piero/dp/0500280517

Read more: http://historicalbiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_great_fornasetti#ixzz0UxzibuQM

http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/04/fabulous-fun-for-fornasetti-fanatics.html

Tip: Barneys and Moss in NYC have a great collection of newly released Fornasetti
www.Barneys.com, www.mossonline.com