The Marginalian
The Marginalian

Charles Eames on Design: Rare and Wonderful Q&A from 1972

Legendary design duo Charles and Ray Eames shaped the mid-century modern aesthetic and influenced the voice of design for decades to come. They were also prolific filmmakers, perhaps best known for the iconic Powers of Ten film. In this fantastic Q&A from 1972, found on the excellent compilation The Films of Charles & Ray Eames and reproduced here in House Industries’ typography journal, Madame L’Amic of the Musee des Art s Decoratifs in Paris asks Charles Eames 29 questions about design, covering everything from the balance between form and function to the role of computers in creativity to the impact of influences. His answers are a timeless treasure trove of wisdom and insight on all that design is and should be.

I’m particularly taken with this bit affirming remix culture and combinatorial creativity:

[Is design] a creation of an individual?

No — because to be realistic one must always admit the influence of those who have gone before.

You can also listen to the full audio of the interview in this Japanese video of questionable legality:

And for the ultimate Eames fan, see Ph.D. student Kevin Mackice replicate the interview with his young son Carter to an amusing, refreshing, and surprisingly philosophical effect:

The entire collection The Films of Charles & Ray Eames is an absolute gem — I highly recommend it.

HT Ace Hotel Blog / @gary_hustwit


Published October 3, 2011

https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/10/03/charles-eames-on-design-1972/

BP

www.themarginalian.org

BP

PRINT ARTICLE

Filed Under

View Full Site

The Marginalian participates in the Bookshop.org and Amazon.com affiliate programs, designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to books. In more human terms, this means that whenever you buy a book from a link here, I receive a small percentage of its price, which goes straight back into my own colossal biblioexpenses. Privacy policy. (TLDR: You're safe — there are no nefarious "third parties" lurking on my watch or shedding crumbs of the "cookies" the rest of the internet uses.)