#2 FINDING A MUSE IN COLLAGE

Fornastti and His Muse Linda Cavalieri

THE WORD MUSE comes from:

The Muses (Greek: Μοῦσαι, moũsai: perhaps from the o-grade of the Proto-Indo-European root *men- "think") in Greek mythology, poetry and literature, are the goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths.

In other word a MUSE is someone that inspires creativity in you.  For artist Piero Fornasetti (10 November 1913 - 9 October 1988), his muse came in the form of one face....

Italian painter, sculptor, interior decorator and engraver, Fornasetti lived most of life in Milan, attending the Brera Art Academy from 1930-32 when he was expelled for insubordination. During World War II, he went into exile in Switzerland from 1943-46. It was during this time that he discovered the face of operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri, in a 19th century magazine. So inspired by this one face he turned it into a graphic motiff, creating more than 11,000 items, many of them featuring the face of a Cavalieri. When asked “What inspired him to create more than 500 variations on the face of a woman?” Fornasetti said, “I don’t know.” He admits, “I [just] began to make them and I never stopped.”...

Today, Fornasetti's images of Cavalieri are as popular as ever. She can be found on everything from glassware to drapery. More than twenty years after his death, the muse that made him famous is still inspiring generations of his family..... To learn more: visit: http://www.fornasetti.com/

The RESEARCH DAY ASSIGNMENT "FINDING MY MUSE "--

Students were to:

A). Find a collage artist that inspires you.

B). Write a 1-2 page Reflection Paper about a Collage Artist,

C). Bring in a minimum of 2 images of that same artist's work to class to use to copy their style in making your own collage.

This exercise is intended to provide a practical path of studying collage, by stretching your visual language in the direction of an artist how has mastered the art form.

Learn more about Fornasetti's work from his book: