Every so often there are books that take you to another place and it’s great when the cover invites you into that world. Art Director, Rex Bonomelli at Scribner, seems to understand the importance of this when he comissioned French illustrator, Pierre Mornet for the design of The Lady Matador’s Hotel. It was a pleasure to discover more about how he works his magic:
There’s something strangely beautiful about this cover. I feel like I am dreaming with rose-colored glasses when I look at it (I’m part Cuban so maybe I relate to the author.) How did you decide to go with this surrealistic cover?
I chose Pierre Mornet by pure luck. I believe one of his pieces was in the Communication Arts Illustration annual when I was searching for an illustrator. The way that he draws women with those beautiful dark features read Latin to me. The fact that he has a surrealistic style was a bonus. There is a small element of the surreal in the book, but the real reason that the Lady Matador’s reflection in the mirror is so big, is that she suffers from an enormous ego.
This story delves into the supernatural so the artwork fits perfectly. When art directing book covers, are there particular kinds of stories that you think of commissioning an illustration first?
When art directing covers, I use illustrators when I know there’s such a specific idea that I will never be able to achieve through photography, or the style of the writing is so stylized or otherworldly that using photography would not benefit the cover. Sometimes I see an illustrator that I would love to use and just wait for the right opportunity to come along.
I haven’t heard of Pierre Mornet, maybe because he mostly works in France, but his scarlet colors with the ghostly skin tones are striking. How did you hear of him and can you share a little more about his work?
Pierre Mornet is a French artist represented by the Marlena Agency. He has a beautiful, dreamy style of painting that always tells a story. His work really lends itself to book covers.
You’ve done covers for books, music, and movies. What do you love most about book design?
What I love most about book design is that any time I get stuck, I can always go to the source for ideas. I’ve had many a project where I just couldn’t solve the cover–I will reread a book until I can figure it out. The answer is always in the text.
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Not sure what’s going on with the Proust portrait, but I like it.