It took me awhile to appreciate the ornate and intricate nature of Rococo design; I tend to be very why draw two lines if you can draw one well? But, you know, slowly, slowly I go along.

Often confused with Baroque design, Rococo pieces intended a move away from the solemnity and reflection Baroque art and architecture meant to evoke.

It seems to me that the Rococo notion of design for designs’ sake is itself a philosophical notion that leads directly to reflection. But, I’ll leave these matters to the professionals.

There is an excellent book called The Fold by Giles Deleuze. This work examines the notion of straight and curved lines as Deleuze theorizes the foundations for Baroque philosophy by examining Baroque artifacts of architecture, literature and mathematics. At just over 100 pages, it’s probably some of the most enjoyable (if dense) modern philosophy out there as it weaves contemporary aesthetics into the concept of, “a body of infinite folds and surfaces that twist and weave through compressed time and space.”

If you believe the San Francisco Guardian, “the scope of Deleuze’s understanding makes this book pertinent to artists, writers, architects or anyone generally interested in ideas.”

Oh yeah, and visit here to view more fantastic Rococo objects.

photos Matt Flynn.