.

To mark the release of  Eames: The Architect and the Painter  the Revue Cinema is hosting a special screening of the  documentary  on Wednesday August 22, 2012 with an introduction by  Elizabeth Smith, the Art Gallery of Ontario’s executive director of curatorial affairs.  Smith has specialized in art and architecture in the last half of the 20th century and will be on hand to provide perspective and context on the massive influence of  the husband-and-wife design team of Charles (the architect) and Ray (the painter).

“Charles and Ray Eames were among the foremost design innovators of the 20th century.  Their work in architecture, furniture, multimedia communications, and other forms of industrial design, including textiles and graphics, helped define modernism in years following World War II,” says Smith.  Many of their designs became icons of the era, remaining fresh and vital today.”

Though they have risen to iconic status, Eames: The Architect and the Painter is the first film to be made about this influential design duo. The doc draws from a deep archive of material and includes new interviews with friends, colleague, and experts to capture the personal and public story of Charles and Ray. The Eames’ were not only a  design  powerhouse who left a lasting legacy, their story also tracks along with major cultural developments in the post-war period. The depth of their influence illustrated in this documentary practically begs for some expert context.

Studying the Eames’ is not just a look back. It also provides a glimpse into a possible future. Or, as Smith puts it,  ”Furniture, housewares, films, exhibitions “” at times it is hard to keep track of everything the Eameses were making. But the scale and variety of the enterprise also establish them as precursors of digital culture, which combines technology with handicraft, and layers information and images into what Charles Eames called (meaning it in a good way) ‘information overload.’ “

The Mid-Century Modernists: Eames: The Architect and the Painter  with an introduction by Elizabeth Smith screens at 6:45 pm on Wednesday August 22, 2012 at the Revue Cinema. For more information visit the Revue website at revuecinema.ca.

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Brandy Dean

Brandy Dean is the owner of the digital marketing consultancy Pretty Clever Things and the editor, writer, and janitorial staff for the film blog Pretty Clever Films. She likes dogs, poutine, silent movies, and hockey, not necessarily in that order.

Latest posts by Brandy Dean (see all)

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