Staying in argues that gray s unusual architecture and design as well as its history of abuse and neglect emerged from her involvement with cultures of sapphic. It also leans a bit heavily into design theory, featuring multiple scenes of characters mulling over ideal living im not sure i learned much about eileen gray in this book, but the gentle art and timetraveling narrative were pleasant companions on a sunday evening. Staying in argues that grays unusual architecture and designas well as its history. Eileen gray one the greatest designers of the 20th century the. The first booklength feminist analysis of eileen grays work, eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity. To coincide, a new book, eileen gray the private painter, written by her. Eileen gray 18781976 was an irish designer and architect who spent much of her time in france. Sarah froelich sarah froelich is a lifestyle product writer, freelance author, and a graduate of new yorks school of visual arts design criticism mfa program. Eileen gray this book argues that eileen gray s unusual architecture and design as well as its history of abuse and neglect emerged from her involvement with cultures of sapphic modernism. The largest exhibition ever presented of gray s designs was presented by the centre pompidou, attracting widespread popular and critical attention at the beginning of 20. About eileen gray, furniture designer and architect.
Eileen gray was a fabulously glamorous figure, at the epicentre of the parisian beau monde of the roaring 20s. Better known as a furniture designer, gray actually worked in multiple fields. The books essays, featuring copious new research, offer. Bringing together a range of theoretical and historical sources, from architecture and design. Eileen gray, thoroughly modern maker furniture designer and architect eileen gray died nearly 40 years ago but is back with us in a big way.
Aged 20, she enrolled at the slade school of art in london. Eileen gray s next major contribution to design was in architecture. Eileen gray dressing stand eileen gray, dresser design. Why eileen gray matters yatzer yatzer design is to share. Join us for a morning of presentations by leading international historians, curators, and architects who are currently investigating eileen gray s highly versatile career. Manuel bougot eileen gray s e1027 villa in roquebrunecapmartin, france. It jumps through time, with background about theories on aesthetics coming out. Renewed interest in gray s architecture during her lifetime led, after her death, to books byj. Josef alberss interaction of color is a masterwork in twentiethcentury art education. Eileen gray, designer and architect yale university press.
Eileen gray once said to create, one must first question everything. In some circles, irishborn eileen gray is the figurative posterchild for the 20th century woman whose work is dismissed by a maledominated culture. Eileen gray s most iconic work is, arguably, her e. P oud, she designed two houses in the alpes maritimes, one at roquebrune which was built from 19261929, and the other at castellar, built from 19321934. A professor once told me eileen gray 18781976 was a furniture designer.
See more ideas about eileen gray, design and furniture design. Described as a leading pioneer of modernist design, eileen gray is. Buy eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity. Eileen gray 18781976, an irish architectdesigner who worked primarily in france, was a pioneer in modern design and architecture and one of the few women to practice professionally in those fields before world war ii. Meet eileen gray, the female architect behind the worldrenowned e1027 house. Gray moved to paris in 1902, where she was to spend most of her life. During the 1920s and 1930s she became one of the leading exponents of the revolutionary new theories of design and construction. To mark the screening of the rte documentary on eileen gray next tuesday and the publication of an important new book on gray s life and work by design historian jennifer gough, we revisit this personal appraisal, written during october 20 in response to the eileen grey. Eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity 9780754669616 by rault, jasmine. Le corbusiers name is synonymous with modern architecture and design in europe during the 20th century. In 1924 they began work on the construction of a house e1027 on a steep cliff overlooking the mediterranean at roquebrune near monaco. She knows that our time, with its new possibilities of living, necessitates new ways of feeling. I am not sure why my professor failed to mention this.
Eileen gray is a name closely tied to womens dignified entrance into the maledominated design world. In a comprehensive new book, jennifer goff, furniture curator at collins barracks in dublin, examines gray s early years as an artist and the world that shaped her. Read eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity. This handsome volume chronicles grays career as a designer, architect, painter, and photographer. E1027 was the first architectural work of the designer eileen gray, completed in 1929 when she was 51 years old. There, over the next few years, she would work alongside a team of. Eileen gray 18781976 is now celebrated as a pioneer of modern design and.
He published books and articles which theorized the way in which architecture should be conceived. Staying in argues that grays unusual architecture and design as well as its history of abuse and neglect emerged from her involvement with cultures of sapphic modernism. Part of the by architects series, eileen gray highlights the work of this singular designerarchitect. It has been nominated in the bord gais energy irish book awards. Built on a steep cliff as a bolthole for her and her then lover, romanianborn architect jean badovici, this house was gray s first foray into architecture, and has since become recognized as a classic example of the modernist. The first book length feminist analysis of eileen gray s work, eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity. Bringing together a range of theoretical and historical sources, from architecture and design, communication and media, to gender and sexuality studies, jasmine rault shows that gray shared with many of her. Artist, architect and designer eileen gray was one of the leading. Eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity book. Wan pengjun nov1998 pdf kindle access ntfe nonfiction 1 evaluation pack. A practitioners guide to software test design author.
This handsome volume chronicles gray s career as a designer, architect, painter, and photographer. Eileen gray may be best known for her furniture designs, beginning her career as a lacquer artist. Despite her exceptionally enlightened mind, gray was forgotten for many years perhaps because she was a woman in a male dominated field. It also leans a bit heavily into design theory, featuring multiple scenes of. This will outline some of the similarities between le corbusiers architectural theology and eileen gray.
Staying in argues that gray s unusual architecture and design as well as its history of abuse and neglect emerged from her involvement with cultures of sapphic modernism. Eileen gray 18781976 was a versatile designer and architect who navigated numerous literary and artistic circles over the course of her life. The angloirish designer eileen gray 18781976 bought the site, paid for the construction and designed the building with the assistance of her close friend. Her approach to furnishings and design really came through in the book. There are several theories on why gray was so overlooked by the design. Neglected for most of her career, eileen gray 18781976 is now regarded as one of the most important furniture designers and architects of the early 20th century and the most influential woman in those fields.
The new york times claims that gray is now regarded as one of the most influential architects and furniture designers of the last century. Staying in argues that gray s unusual architecture and design as well as its history of abuse and neglectresulted from her involvement with sapphic modernism. One could be forgiven for thinking, not another book to add to the bibliography of required reading on eileen gray. Her career started out slow, but eileen gray 18791976 was a cult figure among those who knew her work. Although she was rarely mentioned in our history and theory books, i never forgot her name. Nelson thornes framework english access skills in nonfiction 1. Im not sure i learned much about eileen gray in this book, but the gentle art and. Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this timeless book presents alberss unique ideas of color experimentation in a way that is valuable to specialists as well as to a larger audience. Eileen gray, thoroughly modern maker the irish times.
Fabled modernist french villa e1027, designed by irish architect eileen gray, has witnessed wartime shootings, murder and vandalism by le corbusier. Gray s works share with paintings by romaine brooks, and novels by radclyffe hall and djuna. The museum goes on to claim that gray was the first designer to work in chrome, and. Eileen gray occupies the centre of the modern movement, he wrote at the time.
Eileen gray and the design of sapphic modernity by jasmine rault, 9780754669616, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Her first client was jacques doucethe dressed sarah bernhardt and was himself beloved by proustwho wanted to get rid of his. This compact and wellillustrated introduction to objects and furniture designed by eileen gray was published at a propitious time. In 1926, eileen gray encamped on a bluff overlooking thebay of monaco in the small french village of roquebrunecapmartin. Eileen grays next major contribution to design was in architecture. She was elegantly dressed by the hautecouture designers of the era, poiret and. Eileen gray 1878 1976 was a notable design luminary, an early pioneer of modernism and a woman whose work was without parallel.
As book critic norman weinstein suggests, consider gray the emily. With his studio he designed, among others, the erasmus bridge in rotterdam, the moebius house in the netherlands, the mercedesbenz museum in stuttgart, germany, arnhem central station, the singapore university of architecture and design. Eileen gray was born into an aristocratic irish family. Neglected in her lifetime, eileen gray 18781976 is now regarded as one of the most important furniture designers and architects of the early twentieth century.
Born in 1878, eileen gray was the youngest of five children of a wealthy scotsirish family. Lee copeland feb2004 pdf kindle multichannel optical networks. The book is as much a biography of the house, e1027, as the architect. Gray began as a creator of opulent lacquer furniture and transformed into a pioneer of modernist design. Furniture design books page 3 design news dexigner.
1145 1172 273 1484 944 1293 628 316 112 1419 1020 1375 1354 1290 306 979 1175 268 826 1002 1142 1006 334 1265 1193 85 1167 619 334 216 1319 982 125 827 482 475 789 900