Eileen Gray
Jul 14, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Eileen Gray, E1027 table
Eileen Gray is one of our favorite designers. She had pioneering visions and worked in a variety of mediums: textiles, graphics, furniture, interiors, and architecture. Gray is known for her minimalist perspective and her more famous innovations included the use of tubular steel for furniture and open-plan architectural designs. Join us as we learn more about this incredible artist.
Eileen Gray
Born in 1878, Gray spent her childhood between London and Ireland. Her father was an artist who faithfully encouraged her creative pursuits. She followed in his footsteps, studying painting at the Slade School of Fine Art. During her academic career, she was captivated by Oriental lacquer items she noticed in a London shop window. Gray took her interest one step further, moving to Paris to study with the Japanese master Sugawara. When World War I began she and Sugawara returned to England. The British interlude was short-lived as Gray returned to France once the War ended. In the post-war landscape she pursued new ideas. Her efforts were rewarded with a commission to decorate the apartment of Suzanne Talbot, acclaimed fashion designer. Gray’s sophisticated, luxurious, and streamlined style drew much attention. With this taste of fame she opened her own gallery in 1922.
Eileen Gray
The Galerie Jean Désert sold lighting, lacquer screens, and rugs with geometric, bold patterns. One of her most famous carpets is the Blue Marine carpet; the hues of blue and curved lines perfectly reflect her signature, abstract approach. She made her exhibition debut at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in 1923. The public received her work with a joyful enthusiasm and soon famous people like Elsa Schiaparelli became her clients. In many ways she was ahead of the Art Deco movement in her desire for conceptual restraint and boldness. Gray’s architectural endeavors were guided by her collaborations with the Romanian architect, Jean Badovici. Her relationship with Badovici culminated in the E1027 house.
E1027 house
After the Second World War, her work dropped out of the public eye. But decades later, in the 1970s, a retrospective brought her designs back into the public eye. While her pieces were originally limited editions, Gray yielded to demand, allowing mass-production. Perhaps the most in-demand pieces is her E1027 table (pictured above). The table surface is clear glass and the frame is a chrome-plated, tubular steel. The table adjusts in height and she designed it for her sister who enjoyed breakfast in bed. The name also has sentimental significance: E is for Eileen, 10 is for Jean (J is the tenth letter in the alphabet), 2 represents Badovici (following the same letter code) and 7 is for Gray. The designer passed away in 1976, still working hard and developing new masterpieces.
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: “Miller’s 20th Century Design: The Definitive Illustrated Sourcebook” by Judith Miller, Wikipedia, and Classicon.
For our readers: what do you think of Gray’s work? Do you find it too stoic or too bold?