Normally, we’d be organizing a film festival related to the exhibition “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design,” but since we can’t do that at the moment, museum education intern Katie Landers put together one you can experience in your own home.
“Eames: The Architect and the Painter”
Together Charles and Ray Eames helped to revolutionize 20th-century design — and not just with the chairs, tables and storage units that have become synonymous with their name. What began as a desire to create quality yet mass-produced home furnishings — “the best for the most for the least” in their words — the Eames office, run a bit like a Renaissance studio, grew into one of the most creative firms in midcentury America. This film, directed by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey, is a frank portrayal of the pair’s professional and personal relationship, at times riddled with tension, and their tremendous contribution not only to furniture design but also film, photography, art, branding and graphics. There’s a reason why their work continues to resonate so strongly today. NR, run time: 84 mins.
Watch on YouTube(opens in new tab), Amazon Prime(opens in new tab)
“Chair Times: A History of Seating – From 1800 to Today”
This film looks at 200 years of chair design guided by the Vitra Design Museum’s 125-piece exhibition. This timeline of sittable art bears us on a journey through industrialization and modernization as the chairs presented represent the values, innovations and tastes of the societies and people who sat upon them. This international perspective includes American titans of industry such as Charles and Ray Eames and Frank Gehry. A behind-the-scenes look at the Eames’ protoypes emphasizes the intense process of trial and error involved in seemingly simple iconic design while the museum itself, designed by Gehry, epitomizes his ability to “leave all historical baggage behind” when conceptualizing an idea. From the introduction of furniture into public spaces to the to the public’s obsession with space age design, this exhibition shows the tandem evolution of the middle class and furniture. Run time: 90 mins.
Watch for free at https://www.vitra.com/en-un/page/chair-times(opens in new tab)
“Objectified”
Gary Hustwit, leading director of the design documentary genre, explores the manufactured object. Across industries, Hustwit interrogates the designer’s perspective and influence on a world that takes design for granted. This perspective includes a new way of looking at objects and the environment and an understanding of how consumers relate to it. As designers further distance themselves from fine artists, the search for form is driven by functionality, contribution, accessibility and sustainability. While earlier generations of designers like Charles and Ray Eames were unburdened by the environmental impacts of their materials, designers today must come to terms with the fact that most designed objects will end up in landfills. NR, run time 83 mins.
Watch for free on Documentary Mania: http://www.documentarymania.com/player.php?title=Objectified(opens in new tab)
“Abstract: The Art of Design”
Season 1 Episode 8. Ilse Crawford: Interior Design
This episode follows contemporary interior designer Ilse Crawford as she outlines the principles that have shaped her career. Guided by the idea that the spaces in which we live our lives affect our feelings and behavior, the founder of Studioilse considers empathy to be a pillar of good design. She believes that understanding the emotional goals of her clients and their spaces is necessary to communicate subconsciously with the audience. Thus, her holistic approach encourages design that works across the sensual spectrum. She rejects the traditional visual languages that communicate wealth and luxury in favor of a more humanistic ideal that prioritizes comfort and functionality. Through these ideals she has championed throughout her career she has shaped the world of interior design. Run time: 42 mins
Watch on Netflix(opens in new tab)
“The Future is Handmade”
This film explores the precarious place of craftsmanship in the 21st century. With the perspective that technology and mass production brought on by the modern era has created a population with less and less specialization, Dutch archaeologist Maikel Kuijpers explores the resurgence of demand for craft made objects. This short film deals with the contradictions of a market that aims to give autonomy and dignity to vocational professions while operating in a consumeristic society. The ideal of intimacy that connects crafts people directly to the needs of individual clients is undermined by the reality that the majority of the population is priced out of this luxury market. Run time: 13 mins
Watch for free on YouTube(opens in new tab)
By Katie Lang
