Charles and Ray Eames exhibit arrives in Alhambra

Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra opened its newest exhibit, Mad about Mid-Century: Tribute to Eames on March 19. The exhibit celebrates the work and legacy of 20th century husband-and-wife architect duo Charles and Ray Eames — pioneers in modern art, design and architecture. Though their contributions extend far beyond just furniture, their most renowned design — the Eames chair and its various variations — is the center of the exhibit. The “Eames Lounge Chair” was the very first piece of furniture designed by the couple in 1956. Made of molded plywood and leather, the chair is known for its versatility, comfort and revolutionary design.

The paintings and models in the gallery all pay tribute to the late designers and incorporate the Eames chair in unique and creative ways.

“Eames Therapy P1” by Roman Muradov, is a piece, made with ink and gouache, that incorporates the Eames chairs and portrays them as people in a therapy session, with punny dialogue like “Please take a seat. So what’s been bothering you lately? “Eames Therapy P2” plays on the same concept, but escalates it with the therapy session going out of hand. “You’re being very uncooperative,” says the chair to the other. “This is my practice not yours.”

The Eames House Bird and Eames Elephant also make appearances in Eren Blanquet Unten’s “Elephant” and “Work and All Play” by Loris Lora. The Eames House Bird, known for its elegant simplicity and glossy tail, has been an important symbol in the Eames Office and has appeared in numerous works by the couple.  The couple’s interest in elephants led them to design the enchanting Eames Elephant, which also appeared in Charles Eames’ photographs.

The most charming tribute was “La Chaise on Green,” by Lora. It features the Eames La Chaise, with a black cat sitting on top of it with an orange ball of yarn. The background is all green, with leaves of different shapes and shades. The Eames La Chaise is a lounge chair famous for its organic design and is made of bonded fiberglass shells, a chromed base and natural oak feet. It is made with gouache on paper and mounted on board.

In the section model, “351 Ocean Avenue” made on Baltic birch plywood, artist Judson Beaumont integrates the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman as well as the Eames La Chaise in the other room, with a section cut splitting a fraction of the house out as a divider, separating the two rooms.

“The exhibit was well curated with tribute work and truly embodied the essence of Charles and Ray Eames,” said Brett Su, an environmental design student at the Art Center College of Design. “They revolutionized chair design using bent plywood because they molded it to an organic shape which hadn’t been done a lot back in the day. My favorite is the Eames Molded Plywood chair because of its charm and elegance.”

Some of the artists on display are Drake Brodahl, Edward Juan, Ellen Surrey, Unten and Jan Van Der Veken.

Surrey, a Los Angeles-based illustrator, also held a book signing for Mid-Century Modern Women in the Arts the same night at the gallery. The book, authored by Gloria Fowler and illustrated by Surrey, commemorates females in art, design and fashion. It showcases 25 portraits of heroines that have garnered considerable creative successes in the ’30s and the ’60s. Each page is filled with original, colorful illustrations and captures Surrey’s vibrant and modern artistic style. They also included inspirational quotes and rules for artists by artists, like Japanese-American artist Ruth Asawa, who said, “Sculpture is like farming. If you just keep at it, you can get quite a lot done.” In addition to the signing, Surrey also contributed Eames-inspired work and is featured in the Mad About Mid-Century exhibit.

The gallery gave away a free 1950s Eames Molded Fiberglass Chair courtesy of Design Within Reach to a lucky winner.

Gallery Nucleus’ mid-century exhibition does the iconic artists justice with its large variety of tribute pieces on various mediums. Their timeless style and legacy will influence many generations of artists and designers to come. Mad about Mid-Century: Tribute to Eames is available for viewing until April 3 with free admission.