Tuesday 12 June 2012

Clerkenwell Design Week

A few weeks ago it was Clerkenwell Design Week, a must for all designers, architects and socialites. We had the pleasure of attending. It was a great experience as it was my first time, all show rooms were open to showcase their new products, it was a great opportunity to network and learn about new products and designers. Each space was transformed, and the sun was out. Jaguar being one of the sponsors had a clay model of the latest vehicle as well as exhibiting their latest two, being the car fanatic that I am I was throughly thrilled.

There was two events which really stuck out for me the lecture of Frank Lloyd Wright at Steelcase and the film at Vitra about Charles & Ray Eames. We are often use to hearing how fantastic their work is and their contribution to the design world, this can never be disputed, however, we are never shown what is behind this the real characters behind the design. For the first time we was given a rare insight into their lives and what made them into the people they are best known as, it was far more interesting than any university lecture I had endured.

Frank Lloyd Wright
American interior designer/ architect/ writer/ educator, who designed well over 1000 structures and completed over 500.

Whilst still married Wright took a liking to the neighbours wife Mamah Borthwick Cheney, this later led to the two having an affair with both spouses refusing to divorce them. They fled to europe, which crippled Wright's ability to practice architecture in America.


Wight's first work in europe was with Ernst Wasmuth, Wright worked on over 100 lithographs which were known as the Wasmuth portfolio.


After being well established in europe, Wright and Cheney  moved back to the US and built a new home in Spring Green, Wisconsin.


Unfortunately happiness was short lived, as a servant, set the house on fire, killing 7 people including Cheney and her two children, the most remarkable event was that Wright rebuilt the house.


In 1922 Wright's first wife granted him a divorce, a year later this allowed him to marry his then partner Maude Miram Noel. However this marriage was short lived due to Noels drug addiction to morphine.


Whilst being separated from Noel met Olga Lazorion Hinzenburg a Petrograd dancer who bore him a child.


 Remarkably the house set alight again this time by a faulty telephone wire, nobody was hurt, but Wright declared a set of Japenese prints, which were invaluable he rebuilt the property again and named it Taliesin III.
Wasmuth Portfolio

House for for Mr. Tomek (Detail) Plate XXXV

Living Room, Avery Coonley Plate LVI


Taliesin III

Image copyright of Papillon0128

Charles & Ray Eames 
Charles & Ray Eames American designers, most influential designers of modern architecture/ furniture/ industrial design/ fine art/ graphic design & film.

Charles Eames whilst at Washington University, met his first wife they later went on to have a daughter, he moved his family to Michigan to pursue his career in architecture & Design

He attended Cranbrook Academy and became the head of industrial design, where Charles and a fellow college began work for a competition for the first prototype of the lounge plywood chair.

Charles  met his fellow colleague Ray, and became close with her this led to the divorce of his first wife.

As a honeymoon gift Charles and Ray Eames set off to Los Angeles, California, to expand and continue work on the prototype of the moulded plywood.

They set up a practice, which was an ever changing studio, filled with artists and designers. Many felt they were not getting credit for their work, or the boundaries of ownership became blurred. "One designer said she did not mind being exploited, as she was being exploited by a master"

Charles and Ray Eames, later went on to build there prefabricated home the Eames House case study number 8, which was erected in days, a milestone in modern architecture.

The Eames continued to be influential figures being commissioned for exhibitions, films as well as furniture to name but a few.

However all was not well behind the scenes, Charles & Ray Eames were in an era, of male chauvinism, the woman's place was seen to be in the home, this often led Ray Eames to fade into the background, even though she offered equal amount of input towards design. They were a power couple ahead of their times. Ray may have not shown the effects, but it was felt amongst the office.

Charles being a well known figure, lacked in human interaction, he lacked a social aptitude he often found it hard to communicate, if diagnosed now may have been considered to be dyslexia, often recognised in many designers.

Charles being a charismatic, good looking man, had a mistress , which was known but never spoken of, something which deeply hurt Ray Eames.

Eames House


Powers of Ten



I know this is unusual to write about designers in such ways, most would probably say focus on their work they are known for, but we all like a bit of gossip. Three remarkable people, feel free to leave comments.



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