Short Film on the Aluminium Chair by Charles & Ray Eames

Anyone fond of the Eames pair? Yes us too, which is why I was surprised to come across this fantastic film that documents the making of their iconic Aluminium Chair sitting with so few views over on Vitra’s Vimeo page. The duos design of this chair was put together in 1958 and looking back this was quite a significant 12 months for the creative couple. As the film below will soon explain Ray and Charles were initiated into India’s National Institute of Design whilst also completing their first large scale multimedia project, so in many respects 1958 was a sign of all the great projects that were to come.

The Aluminium chair actually came about when their close friend and architect Eero Saarinen asked Ray and Charles if they would design a chair that was both rugged and light enough for a new house he was in the process of building. In receiving Eero’s request they developed an object that had context within a universal market, and the film below documents a little of the process they undertook in creating this iconic piece of mid-century design.

I’m not going to talk too much on the manufacturing of the Aluminium Chair as the main focus of the film is centred around this. This is quite a rare find though as a lot of the footage caught of the Eames is based more around their story and design philosophy, so I can promise this piece is a real treat. One of the reasons I think so many of us are fascinated by the lives and work of Ray and Charles Eames is the fact they strived to make great design accessible to their peers. It wasn’t about elitism or money, perhaps this came from their self taught background but in many projects they worked in the everyday and designed for the people.

In recent times their works have perhaps moved into the higher bracket somewhat, which is not what they intended originally, but I think if I had the money to spare I’d be purchasing some Eames pieces myself regardless of price. Not because they’re popular today but because Ray and Charles lived the kind of life that almost every creative person dreams to, and if I’m reminded of this every time I sit down or hang my coat then I know I won’t miss a single penny. If you’d like to learn more about Ray and Charles we have three different books currently sitting in our shop waiting for a new home, or alternatively the links below have ample information up for offer.

www.vitra.com
www.eamesoffice.com

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