Mar 17, 20213 min read

Charles & Ray Eames- artist research

Charles and Ray Eames were a designer couple, that developed work in numerous fields such as furniture, graphic design, architecture and film making. They were heavily focused on solving problems a great example being the wooden splint they made for wounded soldiers in WWII as the metal ones just aggravated the wounds. With the problem solving came a lot of innovative products in all of these fields. Their design philosophy was that they wanted to make the best for the most for the least. They were always considering the environmental impact that their work would have, for example stopping the sourcing of rosewood because of deforestation problems in the Amazon. Their furniture especially the Eames lounge chair became notorious to normal working families, and internationally known later on. They were part of the wave of post World War 2 designers and the simplicity coupled with functionality of their designs is what made their concept so popular. When thinking about their common materials the first that comes to mind is wood especially plywood, and that comes down to the Eames lounge chair again. But besides the wood the Eames also pioneered in terms of fibre glass, being the first to create the technology allowing it to be used for mass production. The Eames also made their products very accessible, for a large audience, they were playful in their designs and didn’t overcomplicate it, and that spoke to a lot of people regardless of age. I really like their designs, especially the lounge chair, I’ve always been very attracted to it, I think curved plywood is just so elegant, and the way each piece connects perfect; the whole shape of the chair seems to be in unison with the person. In terms of other designers that are similar, I would compare them to Oki Santo who also has a very playful approach, but I would say his work is less accessible. In terms of how they will inform my project, my biggest take is to do with their approach. They were playful, and I believe that is something I should do, being too serious about the work will close of a lot of doors and with where I am in the project currently, I want to have as many doors open as possible, which is also something the Eames made sure to do. Also, the idea of having a functional product is something I need to keep in mind, they said they didn’t make art they solved problems and if I want to be innovative in any way that won’t be because my design is cool, it’ll be innovative if I find a new approach to a problem or theme. The last thing that really stuck with me was learning that Charles Eames didn’t waste time, as soon as he had an idea, he would act on it and start making models, the Eames weren’t the type to draw infinite amounts of variations, they made it to see how it works and went on from there. I think it’s a good idea I do the same, as soon as I get an idea follow it and see where it develops, right now nothing is set in stone, the more paths I follow the more likely I am to find something truly interesting.

Leg Splint- 1942