Black and white and Italian

I love a bit of Piero Fornasetti, the Milanese artist and designer who's iconic imagery still feels as bizarre and fascinating today as it did when his work first appeared on the scene back in the '50's. His most recognizable designs are of a woman's face (apparently a 19th century opera singer called Lina Cavalieri) which became a central theme in a collection called Tema & Variazioni. Over 350 of his designs were originally produced as plates; depicting her enigmatic face in a slew of different aspects - tattooed, swallowed by a crocodile, turned into a butterfly, and poking out her tongue.

Get hooked up with the gorgeous plates at Palazetti, check out the Fornasetti Collection of wallpaper from Cole & Son, visit Fornasetti directly for access to original vintage items, and shop AT Design Home for accessories and more. But the latest news is of a limited edition Blu-ray disc from Detour Designs that takes Tema & Variazioni and artfully animates it into a surreal 50 minute tour de force for your flatscreen (I can't think of a chic-er way to unwind).

Take a look below at the disc and a couple of screenshots, as well as some of Fornasetti's other work.