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26 December 2014

Charles en Ray Eames

Who                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The couple that, together, made a big list of the most important design classics ever. Leading and innovatory in the American design of the twentieth century. He was  the techie and businessman and she the artist. 

Bio                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Charles Eames (1907 - 1978) and Ray Eames (Bernice Alexandra Kaiser 1912 - 1988) were, in there youth, both enthusiastic drawing talents. They developed a passion  for art. After the death of his father, Charles went to work at a steelfactory. There he discovered his passion for architecture, inspired by his idol, Frank Lloyd Wright.  During his studies at the university of Washington, he worked at several achitect agencies, until he, married and all, opened his own achitect agecies, together with  Charles Grey.

 Because of the recession, it was hard to make money with architecture. In 1939 Charles and Ray met one another at the Cranbrook Academy of Arts. Ray was a scholar  and Charles a professor. Later, he was the head of industrial design here.  Together with Eero Saarinen, he focussed on furniture design. After Charles his divorce, he  and Ray got married. Together they designed sedans and leg protectors of plywood. 

 Next they started with the production of the Eames furniture designs at the Herman Miller company in Michigan. In 1948 Charles and Ray Eames took part in the Low-  cost furniture competition of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and in 1949 the build the case study house. Since 1955 they also worked together with  photographers and moviemakers. In 1964 they received a honourary doctorate from the Pratt institute in New York. Next they took part in multiple, different  exhibitions,  like the Furniture exhibition of Eames in 1973 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Style                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Throughout the years there work is charachterized by innovative and progressive design. Driven by new technologies, the trent of the moment, an eye for detail and a  quirky vision of the world around them, the Eames designed pieces that, at one hand, fit the time in which they made there designs and on the other hand, were a  mark against the consumer. With there designs, they made good design available for everyone.

Trent                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Postwar modernism / Mid-century Modern

Known from                                                                                                                                                                                                          Charles and Ray Eames build a own house in Los Angeles, as a part of the case study program. The designs of there chairs gave them the oppertunity to create other  designs. Known from there Lounge Chair, Plywood Chair, Aluminium Chair and Fiberglass Chair.

More                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      www.powersof10.com, watch the documentary here.                                                                                                                                                    www.eamesoffice.com for the works of Charles and Ray Eames.                                                                                                                                     www.eames.nl for more information and a biography.                                                                                                                                                    www.vitra.com

 

++++++++++++++ Bonus ++++++++++++++

 

Quote                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    'I like to consider myself to be very very funny, the funny thing is, I don't know what a joke actually is.'                                                                                 

Remarkable                                                                                                                                                                                                            Where the modernism and economical prosparity resulted in a consumer society, the Eames made contrast by there way of live. Nothing in there home was replaced  because there was a new trend. They drove an 18 year old black Ford around and also there clothes were selected at simplicity and durability. 

Design by Charles en Ray Eames