A02: Long Description of Designer

EILEEN GRAY

Eileen Gray

I chose an influential, woman designer because I would like to recognize more women designers in the world.

Eileen Gray went to Slade School of Fine Arts and also worked at a furniture-workshops to help jump start on her life's work. Gray first went to Paris to go to other schools such as Ecole Colarossi and Academie Julian. However, while she was living in Paris she learned Japanese lacquer techniques because she was inspired by Japanese artisan Seizo Sougawara. Around 1910, she started making lacquer screens. Her first major client was Jacques Doucet, who noticed her and this is when she started to become well known. Another big hit was when she came back to France after World War 1, she was commissioned by Mathieu Levy to redecorate the interior of her apartment in Paris. In 1922, she opened her shop and sold her lacquer tables and screens. Eileen's work was influenced by contemporary architecture and she began making functional furniture. She's known for her famous furniture, "E-1027" side table with a circular glass on top with steel frame.

http://www.gray-eileen.com/

More importantly, what I found about Eileen Gray that was so inspiring but unfortunate is during World War II, she got her house destroyed by the German army. Because of her gender, she was denied a lot of support, however, in the late 1960s her works were in an Italian magazine that helped her get back in the business and have a successful auction in 1972.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/22139913/A-Short-Biography-of-Eileen-Gray

Reflection:

Honestly, during that time period for me, I can't even imagine what life would be like during war. I know we're going through it now, but it isn't as prominent in our lives as it should be. A woman back then with gender discrimination and able to come out to the top as one of the most influential designers is amazing. And it's great to know even when these designers aren't alive anymore, their designs and works are still influential to today's design. I prefer the antique furniture works better than the modern ones because I feel like it's such a style that no one can easily forget. It's a progression of what people had to go through to get to where we are now with more knowledge of how to make suitable designs for people in the society.

All images sources:

http://www.squidoo.com/eileen-gray-chairs

A02: Short Post of Designer (2)

Charles and Ray Eames

• Charles worked for engineers and manufacturers, where as Ray was fascinated by abstract qualities of ordinary objects.
• They had an office together (Eames Office) in Venice.
• Married in 1941, during the time of war. However, during this time period, it inspired them to do low-cost furniture.
• Charles studied architecture for 2 years at Washington University.
• Charles was a design instructor from 1939-1940, and Ray was doing weaving, ceramics and metal work in 1941.
• They were into filmmaking and made over 85 films.
• They started to create furniture designs in the 1970s.
• They helped design art museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution.
• Charles was in the National Council of Arts.
• Ray was in "The Arts, Education, and Americans" set up by the American Council of the Arts and Education.

Sources:

http://www.eamesoffice.com/charles-and-ray

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/eames/

Picture Source:

Picture

A02: Short Post of Designer (1)

Architect: Chris Downey

As I look around the library in Knowlton, I find myself intrigued by a magazine called Form Pioneering Design - Designing for t

he Senses (with a braille blueprint of a building layout on the front). I immediately wanted to learn more about how this was possible since being blind in an architecture or interior space design profession sounded quite impossible.

I turned to page 14-15, to learn more about Chris Downey. The article is titled, Sight Unseen and it talks about how Downey lost his sight from surgery after 20 years of being an architect.

• During his rehabilitation services, he got an embossing printer. It prints embossed drawings on sixteen-inch-wide rolls, and it's basically like Braille. He then uses a PDF of the drawings that the stuff workson and takes that PDF and printsit out through the embossing printer. The line-work becomes a series of dots, so therefore, this gives Downey information through his fingertips (Kurlander 14).
• Other techniques that helps him are Wikki Stix, which are little waxed sticks children use to draw. Downey uses this directly on his embossing drawings and it's his away with interacting actively on his design (14).
• Acoustics help him understand space because he hears the echoes to tell how large a space is. Downey realized designers can think of design elements as visual, but they can also have tactile value (15).
• Downey is a design consultant to SmithGroup in association with The Design Partnership, LLP, on the VA Rehabilitation Center for the VA Health Care System on the Palo Alto, CA, campus (15).
• Downey is working on projects types that canbe difficult for blind users that associate with transit centers, airports and museums (Fogg).
• Earned a bachelor in environmental design in architecture from North Carolina State University and a masters in architecture from the University of California.
• Award Winning Projects: custom residences of Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, MN and MIT's Rotch Architectural Library.
• Registered architect in California.
• 
  Wikki Stix (Fogg)
  

Braille (Fogg)

Sources:

Fogg, Don

2010/9/23

Architect Chris Downey finds Second Sight

http://archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=4814

Kurlander, Caren

Sight Unseen (14-15)

Form Pioneering Design - Design for the Senses

Magazine