Charles and Ray Eames
First Couple of Modern American Design By Stewart MasonTheir self-contained but inviting world still feels current.
The design firm of married couple Charles and Ray Eames was synonymous with American design in the mid-20th century. Not only is the legendary Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman still in production more than half a century after its debut, the Eames were honored with a set of U.S. postage stamps in 2008, and there are indie bands named The Aluminum Group (after one of their most popular furniture lines) and The Eames Era. Unlike the stark, brutal modernity of many of their contemporaries, the Eames' furniture tended towards pleasingly curved surfaces (besides being marvelous to look at, the Eames Lounge is unbelievably comfortable), and their textiles featured playful, nearly cartoonish designs, often hand-drawn by Ray. Rather than the notoriously hard-to-live-in houses designed by many architects of the era, the small handful of houses designed and built by the Eames feel cozy while still remaining stylishly modern. The couple even ventured into the fine arts with photography exhibitions and acclaimed short films such as 1977's Powers of Ten. Taken together, Charles and Ray Eames' varied pursuits created a self-contained but inviting world that still feels entirely current decades later.
-
Books Review
100 Quotes By Charles Eames
Author
-
Culture Profile
Eero Saarinen Architect
-
Culture Profile
Philip Morrison Astrophysicist, Author
-
Culture Profile
Hans Hofmann Abstract Expressionist Painter
-
Culture Profile
Herman Miller Furniture Manufacturing Company
-
Culture Profile
Raymond Loewy Industrial Designer
-
Culture Review
Arts & Architecture
Editor
-
Culture Profile
Eliel Saarinen Architect
-
Culture Profile
Frank Lloyd Wright American Architect
-
Culture Profile
Modernism Artistic Movement
-
Culture Profile
Piet Mondrian Artist
| Ice Cube Celebrates Charles and Ray Eames | |
|---|---|
