“The World of Charles and Ray Eames” has just opened at the Barbican Center in London and recasts the fascinating story of two of the most influential, versatile and prolific designers of the 20th century. Enthusiastic and tireless experimenters, this husband and wife duo moved fluidly between the fields of photography, film, architecture, exhibition-making, and furniture and product design.The Eames Office was a hub of activity where the Eameses and their collaborators produced an array of pioneering designs, communicating their ideas with a boundless creativity that defined their careers. The Eameses embraced the joy of trial and error and approached design as a way of life.

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From personal letters, photographs, drawings and artwork, to their products, models, multi-media installations and furniture, The World of Charles and Ray Eames includes not only the designs for which they are best known, but provides an insight into the lives of the Eameses, the Eames Office and the breadth of their pioneering work, bringing their ideas and playful spirit to life.

The World of Charles and Ray Eames brings together the pair’s work across architecture, furniture, film, communication and art direction – featuring over 380 pieces created during the designers’ lifetimes forming the first Eames retrospective in the UK since 1999. The Eameses were famed for their Modernist principles and “the best quality, to the most people, for the least money” approach to design, for which they gained international acclaim and fans. Their Los Angeles office was set up during the second world war and was located just down the coast from their famous 1949 home – the Case Study House 8, which now hosts the Eames Foundation.

Working during the mid-20th century, the duo’s famous furniture designs include the Eames Lounge Chair with curved plywood supporting sections and the DSW chair that features a moulded plastic shell. Charles died in 1978 and Ray a decade later, but the husband-and-wife team’s work has lost none of their popularity. Their furniture is still produced by Herman Miller in the USA and Vitra in Europe.