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Inside the Office of Charles and Ray Eames L E C T U

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Inside the Office of Charles and Ray Eames L E C T U LECTURE MAX UNDERWOOD INSIDE THE OFFICE OF CHARLES AND RAY EAMES “ o not seek to follow in the footsteps of Eames legacy, it is important to examine the masters. Seek what they sought.” 1 what occurred inside the Office of Charles D MATSUO BASHO, ZEN POET (1644–1694). and Ray Eames, for it is primarily the incu- bation itself, enshrined by Charles and Ray The mere mention of CHARLES and R AY Eames, that gave birth to such as plethora EAMES delivers to an older generation an of ideas, innovative processes, profound in- immediate, collective smile. Countless of sights, and landmark creative works. us from a not-so-distant era remember with fondness our first experiences of their in- Charles and Ray: the formative years “I don’t novative designs, or “gifts,” as the Eameses believe in this ‘gifted few’ concept, just in affectionately referred to their creative people doing things they are really interest- works.2 We lovingly recall relaxing within ed in doing. They have a way of getting good the embrace of an Eames Lounge Chair and at whatever it is.” 4 Ottoman (1956), vividly remember watch- CHARLES EAMES. ing with childlike wonder the exponential journey in the film, Powers of Ten (1977), or As we look back on the formative years of fondly relive the silent approach, through a Charles and Ray’s lives, prior to the founding flowering meadow and a magically-lifting of their office in 1941, we are immediately coastal fog, to the mythical Eames House struck not only by the wealth of their lived itself (Arts and Architecture Case Study experiences, but by their perseverance and House #8, 1949). resilience to overcome personal, family and Charles and Ray Eames (1907–1978 and professional adversity. Time and time again, 1912–1988) dedicated their lives to the throughout their lives, whether it was the endless search for connections. They cel- early death of their fathers, the hardships ebrated the embodied experiences of life. In of the Great Depression, divorce, or the out- their endeavor of discovery, they exalted an break of World War II, they both demonstrat- with endless drawings. At seventeen, her increase our pleasure, expand our percep- Charles and Ray evolving nature of the ideas, artifacts and ed incredible fortitude to push beyond such world changed radically with two earth- tions, and enrich our lives.” 6 Eames, October 1976. ©LUCIA EAMES, DBA EAMES OF- 5 phenomenon in order that they might better obstacles. shattering events: her father’s sudden Charles Eames was born on June 17, 1907 FICE. define, enrich and sustain our daily lives. Born in Sacramento, California, on death from a heart attack, and the advent in St. Louis, Missouri, the gateway to the One of the most enduring hallmarks of December 15, 1912, Ray Kaiser arrived into of America’s Great Depression. During the American frontier and western expan- the Eames design legacy was its direct- a family immersed in the theatrical tradi- turbulent years that followed, as her family sion. His father, C H A R L ES SR . fought in the ed process of discovery and insight. This tion. Her father, ALEXANDER, managed the relocated to the East coast and moved fre- Union army during the American Civil War, process, in addition to the particularities of local Vaudeville theater and Ray fondly quently, Ray found solace in her daily ar- became a Pinkerton detective after the war Max Underwood is a teach- any design itself, was essentially a means recalled wonderful evenings at the theater tistic pursuits. In 1933, when the family and then a special agent for the Missouri er and architect who worked in the Office of Charles and for celebrating and communicating these and the dinners that followed with many settled in New York City, Ray began a six- Pacific Railroad. Like his father, Charles Ray Eames. He currently is a discoveries to people of every age. The international stars, including A L JOLSON year intensive study with the painter H A NS was curious about the events and people Professor of Architecture at breath and depth of the Eames’ thirty-seven and the ballerina ANNA PAVLOVA. As the HOFMANN, where her renowned sense of around him, was an avid reader of instruc- Arizona State University and a principal in Underwood + years of creative work from 1941 to 1978 is years progressed, Alexander’s theater would perception, color, shape and structure were tions, and loved to draw. In 1921, following Crisp, a collaborative design simply staggering: They forged over 900 pio- be among the first to introduce the new refined and honed to perfection. As she the death of his father, shot by train robbers, and architecture practice neering designs for furniture, toys, exhibi- art form of motion pictures to Ray and his later recalled, “My interest in painting is Charles began a variety of after school learn- with Barbara Crisp based in 3 Tempe, Arizona. tions, film, graphics and architecture. northern Californian audiences. In high the rediscovery of form through movement by-doing jobs to help support his strug- [email protected] Another generation is now poised to school, Ray excelled in art. The pages of and balance and depth and light using this gling family. From the age of fourteen, his inherit Charles and Ray’s “gifts.” As this class notebooks from her favorite subjects medium to recreate in a satisfying order my range of work experience included a print generation seeks to better understand the – History, English, and French – were filled experiences of this world with a desire to shop, grocer, drug store, lighting fabricator, 4 6 2005:2 INSIDE THE OFFICE OF CHARLES AND RAY EAMES 47 2005:2 construction and a steel mill. In his limited the fallout of the Great Depression. During the building.” 8 It was during this same on trial-and-error experiments with their free time, Charles discovered his father’s these hard times, and with the added re- period that the great Finnish architect, “Kazam! Machine”,10 Charles and Ray slowly hobby, photography, and over the years per- sponsibilities of a family, Charles engaged ELIEL SAARINEN, then the director of the learned how to produce a perfect compound fected his artistic and technical skills. This in a series of odd jobs to make ends meet. He Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, curved shell in response to the constraints became the foundation for his life-long reli- designed opera sets, completed measured contacted Charles after seeing photo- of material, fabrication and comfort. As ance on still photography and film as a way drawings of the New Orleans cathedral for graphs of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in with all subsequent Eames designs, the final of perceiving and seeing deeply into the task the Historical American Building Survey, Architectural Forum magazine, and subse- form was not willfully predetermined, but at hand. and finally, frustrated with the lack of work quently offered him a fellowship to join the grew out of recognizing, accepting, and rig- In 1925, Charles attended Washington in America, moved to San Luis Potosi and Architecture and Urban Planning program orously working through all the constraints University on a scholarship and studied Monterrey, Mexico for almost two years. in 1938. of the particular design problem under con- architecture for two years. At the time, the Upon his return from Mexico in 1935, At Cranbrook, Charles revived his learn- sideration. School of Architecture was immersed in a Charles re-established his architectural by-doing philosophy, and not only ex- Following Pearl Harbor and America’s neo-classical Beaux-Arts curriculum, and practice, and completed several major com- plored each of Cranbook’s various allied art entry into World War II, Charles and Ray Charles was dismissed after his second year missions including the St. Mary’s Catholic studios, but found time to work part-time in found themselves in hard times and at for his advocacy of FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. Church in Helena, Arkansas, and the JOHN Eliel Saarinen’s architectural office, where one point even contemplated joining the He then began working as a draftsman in a and ALICE MEYER Residence in Huntleigh he met the new junior partner, Eliel’s son, Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey circus local architect’s office. In 1929, he married Village near Saint Louis, with its innovative EERO. Charles and Eero quickly became as clowns. But fortuitously, Dr. W E N DE L L his first wife, CATHERINE WOERMANN, aluminum windows and poured concrete close friends and professional collaborators, SCOTT, a Navy surgeon came for a visit, and daughter of a local Saint Louis contractor, floors. As Charles fondly recalled, “Going who would share many projects through explained the military’s pressing need to and a year later their only child, daugh- into practice in the 1930’s is really some- their lives until Eero’s untimely death in solve a problem with their metal splints ter LUCIA, was born. On their honeymoon, thing. And it’s the greatest thing that could 1961. Most importantly, it was at Cranbrook and litters. The problem being the metal they traveled to Europe, where Charles happen, because you practice architecture where Charles refined his conceptual think- traction splints would vibrate when ac- was exposed to new modern architecture and you have to do everything. And we did ing and design process, while teaching in cidentally struck, re-injuring the arm or and the work of MIES VAN DER ROHE, L E some little churches, we did some houses the new Industrial Design Department, leg of a wounded solider due to this move- CORBUSIER, and the Bauhaus.
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