Bruno Munari is one of the greatest Italian artists and designers of the lats century, beloved especially by dreamers and the pure of heart. The strength and honesty of his work, and the influence he had (and continues to have) on entire generations of Italian and international designers, is unparalleled.
In this collection, we look at some of the many books Bruno Munari wrote during his long career. An attempt has been made to divide them into specific categories, but who says that a children’s book can’t also be a work of art and a design manual?
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Bruno Munari Books: on Design and Creative Projects
First, let’s take a look at Munari’s books on design and planning. They are characterized by direct, ironic, and entertaining writing, but most of all, they are engaging and educational.
Design As Art
Design as Art might not be the most visionary book ever published by Bruno Munari, but it’s a very good introduction to his poetics and to his creative world. Here Bruno Munari approaches the wide landscape of design in five chapters: Designers and Stylists, Visual Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, and Research Design. Throughout the book, Munari explains his vision and his ideas about what a designer is, why a designer is an artist, and accompanies his writing with some illustrations that give life to his ideas. A book that is a perfect introduction to his world and to his work, useful and inspiring for anyone interested in art and design.
Fantasy
Bruno Munari’s Fantasy (Fantasia is the original Italian title) is a fundamental work that looks into some principles that drive creativity, addressing a broad audience that goes beyond artists and designers. Published in 1977, the book presents exercises and innovative techniques to stimulate imaginative thinking, helping the reader to go beyond conventions and usual blockages. Fantasy is a testament to Munari’s multifaceted career as a designer, painter, sculptor, and educator, significantly influencing Italian art and design of the past century. With its ironic and accessible style, multiple illustrations, and emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches, this book remains a great resource for anyone wanting to work on their creative process.
Good Design
Bruno Munari’s Good Design, originally published in 1963, is a fundamental text that explores the principles of good design through the analysis of everyday objects. Munari, with his unmistakable clear and incisive style, demonstrates how design must harmoniously integrate form, function, and aesthetics. The orange, an emblematic example in the book, symbolizes this ideal of design: a natural object where every aspect, from form to function, is in perfect coherence. More than sixty years after its publication, the book remains an essential reference for designers and enthusiasts, bearing witness to the lasting impact of Munari’s ideas on contemporary design.
Square, Circle, Triangle
In this book (published in italian as three separate volumes) Bruno Munari explored fundamental concepts of form and composition. The result is a set of guides for artists and designers, as well as a deep reflection on the nature and meaning of geometric shapes in everyday life and art. In The Circle, Munari explores the shape as a symbol of perfection, unity, and infinity. The Square, on the other hand, focuses on balance, stability, coherence, and the fundamental sense of order that this shape represents. And in The Triangle, he illustrates visual tension, dynamism, and movement. Through these works, Munari teaches us to recognize and appreciate the beauty in the simplest shapes around us, showing how they can be endless sources of artistic inspiration and design creativity.
Artist Books and Children's Books by Bruno Munari
During his long career, Bruno Munari invested much energy not only in his work as an artist and designer, but also as an educator. In addition to being a University teacher (such as at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard), Bruno Munari always had a special sensitivity for the world of childhood. He wrote dozens of books for children, here are some of the ones that had the most impact.
Le Macchine di Munari
Munari’s Machines is a book that has a special place in the hearts of those who love Munari’s work for its poetic inventiveness, as it explores the world of machines in a unique and imaginative way. In this dreamy and ironic book, Munari showcases his ability to blend art, design, and education, presenting a series of imaginary machines through detailed illustrations and fascinating descriptions. Each machine, though entirely a product of fantasy, is designed with a sense of realism and functionality, reflecting Munari’s deep understanding of objects and design. Whether useful, useless, or simply visionary, the machines—like the Device for Predicting the Dawn or the Tail-Wagger for Lazy Dogs—immediately spark the readers imagination. It is now out of print, but if you can find it.. get it!
I Prelibri
The principle behind the Prelibri is to offer children an experience that precedes reading in the traditional sense. Munari intended these books as tools to develop preschool children’s curiosity and perceptual skills, such as the recognition of shapes, colors, and different textures. Created in the 1970s, the Prebooks use materials other than traditional paper, such as fabric, synthetic fur, and plastic materials, to stimulate children’s sense of touch and physical interaction. Each “Prelibro” is a collection of pages made from different materials and textures, with no written text, encouraging children to explore them through touch, sight, and even hearing. They represent Bruno Munari’s deep understanding and great respect for children and their perceptual world.
DRAWING A TREE
Drawing a Tree, part of Corraini’s WORKSHOP series, is a beautiful and poetic book perfect for both adults and children. In this highly evocative and ironic book, Bruno Munari teaches how to observe and draw trees, setting the stage for unleashing the creativity of those who love plants. In Brunos words: “Now that, as I believe, it’s clear to you how to draw a tree, you shouldn’t follow exactly what I’ve shown you; if you now understand the rule, you can draw the tree you want, completely different from the one you’ve seen in this book.”
Drawing the Sun
“Sunset and sunrise are the front and back of the same phenomenon: while we, on this side, watch the sunset, those on the other side see the sunrise.” In this book, again in Corraini’s WORKSHOP series, Bruno Munari gathers many images that describe the sun: photographs, illustrations, lithographs, paintings, and he explains how the sun can be represented in a thousand different ways. He helps us find our own sun and nurtures the creativity of those who want to draw it.
Speak Italian: the fine art of gesture
As a closure for this article about Munari’s books, we want to introduce one of his best sellers. A guaranteed hit as a gift for non-Italian friends, Supplement to the Italian Dictionary is a book full of irresistible irony. Smooth and entertaining, it perfectly describes (and makes a bit of fun of) the Italian language… the one spoken without words. It does so through hand and body gestures that are now recognized as symbols of Italy around the world. A book that combines wit, beautiful photography, and the irony of Bruno Munari.
