The film was shown at the SCAD Museum of Art.Photo by Allen Duncan

By Chelsea Leigh

Staff writer

Shown at the SCAD Museum of Art on the opening day of SCAD Style,”Eames: The Architect and the Painter” depicts the personal account of the husband-and-wife collaboration Charles and Ray Eames. The documentary shares the stories of the individuals who influenced modern-day ideals and designs far beyond public knowledge.

The film, created in 2011, includes archival footage of Charles and Ray’s innovations, as well as personal interviews with close friends and colleagues who knew them best. Narrated by James Franco, the story runs full circle to give the viewer the whole “Eames experience.”

The movie was fast-paced and informative, with a story the audience could really keep up with and feel a part of. Interviews with personal colleagues, and even Charles’ lover, closely portray the uniqueness of both Charles and Ray’s personalities.

Not surprisingly, Charles Eames (with Ray as the aesthetic genius behind the operation) was much more than an architect and painter, as the title suggests. He embodied a little bit of nearly everything: industrial designer, photographer, filmmaker, analyzer, innovator, and then, finally, architect and painter.

Admired by the American public, and eventually the world, Charles and Ray Eames were responsible for some of the creations that we may not think twice about. These creations are easy to view because they are some of the simplest designs that we may take for granted today. The Eames Chair? Look in nearly every grade school and you’ll find his re-mastered molded plywood or plastic chair, built for comfort in the classroom.

These building techniques have hardly been changed today, making it difficult to come up with a better structure than Eames did after his design was tested.

The power behind this couple was unheard of both then and today. They each contributed equally to the iconic masterpieces they created. Charismatic and cheerful, Charles and Ray Eames took the world by storm with their magnetic personalities and groundbreaking ideas.

I recommend this documentary to anyone interested in broadening his or her general knowledge.