Eames Influences

While Bernice Kaiser is not a name well known, Eames is certainly a name that holds an irreplaceable position in postwar American design, and according to some, Ray and Charles Eames could even be the most important American designers of the twentieth century. From their bent plywood chair of 1946, to their short films, the Eames were a partnership that engineered innovation across the entire design spectrum. Their more than 80 short films brought awards at film festivals in the United States, Europe, and Australia (Kirkham 1). They were part of the team that produced the first American multimedia presentation in 1953, and they designed enormous projects for companies like IBM, Polaroid, and Herman Miller (Eames: The Architect and the Painter).
She began drawing from the early age of three years old and in high school she was a member of the Art Association, as well as chair for the decoration committee of the schools annual football dance (Kirkham 33). After graduating in 1931, she spent a term at Sacramento Jr College before moving with her mother to New York. They wished to be closer to her brother, a cadet at West Point. In New York, Ray Kaiser attended the May F. Bennett School for Girls in Millbrook (Kirkham 33). Two years later, Ray graduated in 1933 and shortly thereafter she enrolled in the Art Students League and began studying with the avant-garde artist Hans Hofmann (Kirkham 33). Hofmann had a very unique teaching style, introducing his students to the abstract styles of artists such as Kandinsky and Picasso. His free teaching style and inspiring methods labeled him as the “most important art teacher of the time” by his students and so inspired them that when he left to establish his own art institution, many students followed. Ray was one of these students, following to attend his Manhattan school as well as his summer schools on Cape Cod (Kirkham
Her contributions to their partnership and the Eames name were marginalized. Gender rolls and the societal differences between masculinity and femininity placed Charles at the forefront of their relationship (Kirkham 82). Though Charles tried to correct misconceptions whenever possible, it was still hard for Ray to be recognized by the media and the public as equal to her husband (Kirkham 82). One example of this, is the Arlene Francis Home Show, a popular NBC show in 1957. In one particular episode, displaying the many designs of Charles and Ray Eames, Ray's position was changed from a collaborator to a background helper. Arlene Francis began by introducing Ray with the statement, “Almost always when there is a very successful man, there is an interesting and able woman behind him. This is Mrs. Eames and she is going to tell us how she helps Charles design these chairs.” It's simple to see from the video, both Charles and Ray are uncomfortable with the off-handed introduction, though they both put on a smile and endure it anyway (Eames: The Architect and the