Charles and Ray Eames: The Architect and The Painter

The documentary ‘Eames the architect and the painter’ directed by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey portraits the extraordinary relationship between two inspirational people, working together to create art. Charles Eames and Ray Eames are a duo that changed manufacturing with plywood and challenged the typical everyday work environment. As well as they revolutionized every projected that they set their skills on.

The structuralized cubicles of the corporate landscape were quite the opposite of Charles and Ray Eames architecture studio. They created a space that was in constant transformation base on the current project they were working on. Instead of stagnant rooms of drafting table that is seen in other architectural studios the Eames had a plethora of art that inspired their designs. This office structure allowed them to grasp an alternative perspective on each project that reached the studio. Along with the collaborative efforts of their team Charles and Ray Eames created a work environment that juxtaposed its classical predecessor.

Charles Eames along with his design team innovated Their ambition to create a chair that could be mass produced at low cost to the manufacture and consumer is one that most business strive for. Interestingly, WW2 help change their perspective on the plywood material they were using, instead of manipulating the plywood into shapes they wanted they instead learned that working in the constraints of the material would create a better product that would be easier to produce. In a cost and operations standpoint, the Eames design revolutionized the mass production of furniture.

The Eames not only created architecture but inspired a generation of new architects and artist to push the limits of their creativity. Their dynamic work environment also inspired a different way of thinking when it came to workspace. Without the dynamic work environment that they fostered Charles and Ray Eames wouldn’t have been able to manufacture a design that could be mass produced quickly.