"Eames: Beautiful Details" celebrates the seamlessness and fluidity in which Charles and Ray Eames operated as both a husband-and-wife team and as designers unrestricted by traditionally profesionally boundaries. Select details of their life and work, from their refined designs to to their innovative experiments, and even including images depicting the everyday poetic moments of their lives, and are shared here in this exhibit within a book.
Inspired by Charles's immersive and original slideshows, in which he expertly selected and grouped images together that communicated information in an aesthetic, direct, and accessible way, this book strives to visually created the Eameses' life and work by taking the viewer through a delightful joruney, focusing on their "beautiful details."
The packaging design of the "Eames: Beautiful Details" slipcase is a pattern inspired by the triangles and colors of one of their most inventive, if lesser-known, designs for children, simply called, "the toy." It also pays homage to the patterns they used on their well-loved House of Cards. The Eameses brought a sense of humor and joy to everything they created, and the design and layout of the book aims to convey that spirit in a visual feast for the eyes.
It is a testament to the Eameses and the lasting value of good design that their Eames lounge chair, created in 1956, endures today as perhaps the most recognizable and coveted piece of mid-century furniture design. Their experiments in technological innovations, like molded plywood and fiberglass, resulted in such classic pieces as the bent plywood LCW and DCM Chairs, the Molded Plastic Chairs, and the Aluminum Group; all of which are still in production by Herman Miller.
Likewise, Charles and Ray designed and built their own home in 1949 in Pacific Palisades, and it is still revered as a landmark of modern architecture. Built as part of the Case Study program in California, sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine, it was one of the earliest experiments in pre-fab construction, using off-the-shelf industrial parts. But unlike the austerity of much of modern architectural design, their factory-like shell was lovingly lived in along with their personal collections of folk art, treasures from their travels, and everyday objects refreshingly displayed with affection and without pretense.
In exhibition design as well, "Mathematica: A World of Numbers ... and Beyond, 1961," for IBM is considered groundbreaking as an interactive, educational, and experiential way to communicate the wonder and magic of math. Similarly, their seminal film, Powers of Ten, 1977, expresses the mathematical concept of multiplying to the tenth power, in a very direct, simple, and powerful way.
About the Author :
Renowned designers Charles and Ray Eames are among the greatest designers of the 20th century. They are, of course, most well known fo their groundbreaking and iconic furniture designs, but they also created important, creative, experimental, and beautiful work in the areas of architecture, exhibit design, textile design, product design, graphic design, toy design, film, and photography.
Charles and Ray Eames brought a sense of innocence and playfulness to the design process, as well as a tremendous love and discipline in all they created in many different fields and mediums.
Review :
""AMMO Books has just published perhaps one of the most stunning books we have seen all year, 'Eames: Beautiful Details, ' one that we are very happy ended up in our offices yesterday. Not only an in-depth, 400+ page look into their innovative and groundbreaking furniture design, 'Beautiful Details' covers Charles and Ray Eameses' extensive exploration in textiles, products, graphic design, toys, film, and photography. Must-have may be too passive of a statement."" --Juxtapoz Magazine
""'Beautiful Details' offers something of a comprehensive overview, with chapters on all of [the Eameses'] various disciplines. But more than that, it is a personal document, edited by their grandson, Eames Demetrios--who is chairman of the Eames Foundation--and featuring family photos, documents, and reminiscences."" --Los Angeles Times
""Dive deep into the inspiring and collaborative work of Ray and Charles Eames with this vibrant exhibit-in-a-book by Eames Demetrios. The couple's art, joy, and zest for problem-solving design are on full display."" --Herman Miller
