I'd Like to Dine with Lichtenstein...

Actually, I'd like to dine from Lichtenstein. And Dali. It's a little known fact that both artists designed tableware, totally in-line with their respective aesthetics. Dali's fantastical flatware is a particularly heavenly concoction of silver doré, enamel, pearl, crystal, and sapphire. YUM. Who needs food when you have a place setting like this? I wouldn't want to obscure the beauty with a substandard soup, for instance. Dali diet, anyone? (Oh, and side note: my scanner is most definitely on the fritz, you can click on these images to enlarge them.)


I actually found the above place setting in an interesting little article (Art & Antiques, Dec 1984) about the decorative endeavors of famous fine artists. And while some of the objects are beyond bizarre (see Alexander Calder's allegedly functional toaster below), it's nonetheless interesting to see how the very familiar aesthetics of certain famous artists translate into objects of daily life.


Below, Thomas Cole's ivory playing cards and box. The author sums up this decorative impulse with a reference to Leonardo da Vinci. "In [da Vinci's] day," he writes, "there was no strict line between the artist and the artisan— for the Renaisance man, everything had to be beautiful." Spot on, 1984 Art & Antiques! Isn't this what makes the pursuit of style so much fun, after all?