12 min listen
Ray Eames
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Length:
17 minutes
Released:
Oct 28, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Ray Eames was a graphic designer and abstract artist at the height of the post war era. She studied abstract art with Hans Hoffman for six years before meeting and moving to California with her husband, Charles Eames, in 1941. Ray was not professionally trained as a designer but was deeply involved in the design process. She combined her abstract sensibilities with her interest in structure and form. The Eames are most well-known for developing molded plywood chairs and other furniture that blurred the line between playfulness and function. The Eames Office did more than just design furniture. They worked on ads, packaging, exhibition spaces, toys, and even films. The Eames Office was incredibly collaborative, and everyone at the office was involved in every project. As a result, Ray never claimed any design as her own. However, she was responsible for some textile designs and magazine cover illustrations for the Arts and Architecture publication. Ray was in her element when it came to color and arrangements. She arranged furniture exhibits for Herman Miller and designed the color schemes for her own home. It’s not hyperbole to say the furniture and designs that came out of the Eames Office defined a generation and they have Ray’s influence written all over them.TIMELINE1912 – b Sacramento, California1931 – May Friend Bennett School for Girls 1932 – mentor at Hans Hoffman studio for 6 years1940 – moved to Michigan, studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art1941 – married Charles Eames1943 – Eames office established1942-1947 – covers for Arts and Architecture magazine1946 – Ray Eames pattern designs made 1953 – Deborah Sussman hired at Eames office1957 – Day of the Dead film1959 – Moscow World’s Fair2010 – Eames exhibit made by Deborah Sussman and Andrew ByromREFERENCESBanks, T. (2012, August 22). Addressing the need: The Graphic Design of the Eames Office. Design Week. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/may-2012/addressing-the-need-the-graphic-design-of-the-eames-office/BBC The Genius Of Design 3 of 5 Blueprints For War 2010. (2011, October 21). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_0z1kvM6nsBrown, B. (2017, November 6). Celebrating Graphic Design Sorceress Deborah Sussman. Journal. https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/deborah-sussman-dies-at-83/Butler, A. (2013, December 11). Deborah Sussman Interview. Designboom | Architecture & Design Magazine. https://www.designboom.com/design/deborah-sussman-interview-12-11-2013/Caduff, R. (Director). (2011) The Visual Language of Herbert Matter. [Film]. PiXiU FilmsCohn, J. & Jersey, B. (Directors). (2011) Eames: The Architect and the Painter. [Film]. Quest Productions. Bread & Butter Films. American Masters ProductionsEllison, K. (2018, March 10). The chromatic legacy of environmental designer Deborah Sussman. 99designs. https://99designs.com/blog/famous-design/environmental-design-deborah-sussman/Hans Hoffman. (n.d.). HANS HOFMANN. http://www.hanshofmann.org/1930-1939Ray Eames in World War II. (2019, September 27). Eames Office. https://www.eamesoffice.com/blog/ray-eames-in-world-war-2/4 films by Charles and Ray Eames. (2019, October 18). Eames Office. https://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/4-films-by-charles-and-ray-eames/Day of The Dead. (2019, April 16). Eames Office. https://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/day-of-the-dead-2/Dot Pattern.(2019, October 24). Eames Office. https://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/dot-pattern-drawings/Eames in NYC.(2017, March 2). Ray (Kaiser) Eames Office. https://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/ray-kaiser-eames-new-york-city/Ray’s Arts & Architecture magazine covers. (2019, October 4). Eames Office. https://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/rays-arts-architecture-magazine-covers/Kirkham, P. (2021). Ray Kaiser Eames. Pioneering Women of American Architecture. https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/ray-kaiser-eames/Lawrence, S. (1985). Declaration of Function: Documents from the Museum of Modern Art's Design Crusade, 1933-1950. Design Issues, 2(1), 65-77. d
Released:
Oct 28, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (36)
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