We are very proud to present Essential Eames: A Herman Miller Exhibition to Singapore, which will open at Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum on the 29th June, 2013. Lovers of Charles and Ray Eames furniture will delight in the exhibition that reveals the creative spirit and philosophy inherent in everything the design duo achieved, both in work and life. Among the exhibits are rare and unique pieces of furniture, original paintings by Ray Eames, a selection of some of the 125 films created by the couple, photography, toys (including a giant house of cards) and fittingly for the ArtScience Museum, a partial recreation of the couples much-celebrated 1961 exhibition Mathematica, which reduces complex mathematical concepts to simple forms.

The exhibition is based on the book An Eames Primer by Charles and Ray's grandson Eames Demetrious, who will open the exhibition and also provide a series of guided tours and a lecture about his grandparents legacy. In the coming weeks we will be posting a series of behind-the-scenes stories about the exhibition and some of the pieces and people featured in it here on the blog, so do keep checking back.   

On the 5th of September over 80 members of Shanghai's design and architecture community took the opportunity to meet Eames Demetrious, grandson of Charles and Ray Eames and principal of the Eames Office as he led them in a talk about his grandparents design legacy. We thoroughly enjoyed hosting the event which took place in one of Shanghai's most stunning outdoor venues, the Rooftop at Waterhouse in South Bund. Here are a few photos from the evening, you can see the complete album over at our facebook page.

How cute are these little Eames Elephants, given a creative make-over by the artists Geoff Todd (Australia) and Teguh Ostenrik (Indonesia) for the opening of the Essential Eames Exhibition in Jakarta last month. The artists kindly devoted their talent and time free of charge so the little fellows can be sold to raise money for the Eames Foundation, which will contribute to the ongoing repair and restoration of the Eames House. A very worthy and original collaboration indeed!

It's Australia's turn! We're excited to announce that Eames: The Architect and the Painter is premiering at The Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) in Federation Square this Tuesday 8th May. We are partnering with Living Edge to give away a limited edition framed set of Eames Stamps as a prize in honour of the films Australian premier. The film will screen from the 1st - 17th June 2012 and as an added bonus for filmgoers, Living Edge is running a special promotion, which will give patrons a 15% discount off their furniture. It's a film any design lover will enjoy, giving an in-depth look into the minds of two of mid century modernism's greatest heroes. And with the added benefit of purchasing your very own Eames piece at a discounted price after the film, it's an opportunity not to be missed. For session times and more details see the ACMI website. Here's the trailer to whet your appetite...

The documentary Eames: The Architect and The Painter debuted in New Zealand last week (see our previous post) and to pay homage to the film our New Zealand dealer Matisse held a fabulous party which also marked the launch of their Eames inspired pop-up shop. Fans of the film will find all sorts of Herman Miller goodies available at the store which will stay open until the 29th April. New Zealand readers can head on down to 254 Broadway, Newmarket and snaffle up a little piece of Eames history for themselves.

Great news for Eames lovers in the Asia Pacific region! The much awaited documentary portrait of Charles and Ray Eames' lives, Eames: The Architect and the Painter debuts in Auckland this Saturday 31st March as part of the New Zealand's World Cinema Showcase film festival. The film explores a range of archive material, films, photographs and artifacts to examine the forty year epoch of the Eames Office and the key relationship between Charles and Ray. Check out the fabulous timeline on our website that allows you to thoroughly explore the Eames great legacy of furniture that we at Herman Miller are so proud to be the trustees of. From here you can also view the film's trailer. Australian viewers stay tuned, we'll have news for you shortly!

For more details and session times in New Zealand click here.

Indonesian Eames' enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that the Essential Eames exhibition which opened last September at REACH in Hong Kong, will be installed in Gandaria city, Jakarta for a limited time. Our Indonesian friends will be able explore the life and works of Charles and Ray Eames first hand. Based on the book “An Eames Primer” by Eames Demetrios, the exhibition is segmented into various sections, corresponding to the chapters of the book. Visitors are first greeted by the walls of Charles and Ray’s life, where we explore the humble beginnings of Charles Eames who as a young teenager lost his father and had to support the family to his travels in Mexico with only 75 cents in his pocket to his tenure at Cranbrook as design lecturer. Ray’s wall explores her artistic endeavours, particularly in painting and textile design. Visitors then dive deep into the many facets of their work from architecture to film, toys, products and furniture.

The Jakarta exhibition will feature a unique interpretation of the Eames Case Study House #8. Marcello Sidharta, project lead of appointed design partner Sidhart Architect was inspired by the design philosophy and approach of the Eames. He embraces the high ceiling of the Gandaria space recreating the facade of the iconic Eames House Case Study #8. The space is proudly sponsored by Herman Miller authorised dealer in Indonesia - PT forum.

Visitors to the space will be able to explore a range of the latest Herman Miller products including the Eames Lounge and Ottoman in white leather and Yves Behar's SAYL chair. The exhibition will be officially opened by Eames Demetrios on the 25th April. This exhibition is open to public, admission is free.  We're really looking forward to the launch and meeting our Jakarta audience. The Essential Eames page and our facebook page will keep you up to date with what's happening.

We couldn't help but be struck with a sense of deja vu when we stumbled upon this Mosaic wallpaper (above) by French studio Minakani Walls. Its resemblance to one of the patterns on Charles and Ray Eames House of Cards from 1952 (below) is uncanny. We love it in the scale it has been produced in for the wall and we think the Eames' themselves would approve...

Posted by Lauren Evans

(above) House of cards image courtesy of Eames Designs catalogue and (below) jmtp at flickr

The recently launched website Eames Designs aspires to be 'a virtual encyclopedia of all things Eames'. Editor Daniel Ostroff is serious about creating an online directory that encompasses every aspect of the Eames vast creative life, including furniture, films, toys and artwork. He pays particular attention to Eames furniture spotted in films, print media and modern daily life in a section he calls 'Eames Spotting'. He has collaborated with all the official Eames associations including the Eames Office and Foundation, Vitra and ourselves and now invites all other interested parties to the table to contribute. It's a fabulous resource with unlimited potential and we look forward to watching it grow.

EamesDesigns.com

We've found some interesting comparisons between Steve Jobs and Charles Eames recently. Over at the gigaom website, one of San Francisco's most influential tech websites, writer Om Malik suggests those who have read the Steve Jobs biography should see the recently released documentary Eames: The Architect and the Painter as an addendum to the book. He notes the similarities between Charles Eames and Jobs; "they both were very clear in distinguishing what is design and what is style. And more importantly both made simplicity their mantra". He references a review of the film that appeared in the New York Times that also references Jobs in its introduction questioning whether Jobs, like Eames was "primarily a designer, an engineer, a computer nerd or an artist? A benevolent guru or the center of a cult of personality?" The article is well worth reading, find it here.

The comparisons being made are certainly thought provoking and it will be interesting to see how Jobs legacy grows as time and technology moves on - will he will remain as revered as the Eameses still are today, half a century later?

Read the full gigaom article here.  The documentary Eames: The Architect and the Painter will be released in the Asia Pacific region this year but for those who want a sneak peek, it can now be viewed online in its entirety via flash or as an app at the PBS website, here's the link. 

Posted by Lauren Evans