101回目となる本展は、20世紀を代表する建築家、デザイナー、チャールズ･イームズとレイ･イームズ夫妻が南カリフォルニアのパシフィックパリセーズに建設した住宅兼スタジオ、イームズハウスに焦点を当て、3つのテーマと映像で構成しています。
イームズハウス（1949年完成）は、建築を通して二人の暮らし、デザイン思想を後世へ伝える目的で大規模な修繕が行われており、関係者の熱意に支えられて2014年にその第一ステージが完了しました。訪れてみると、庭や室内外の植物はよく手入れされており、あたかも数時間前まで二人が居たかのような空気感を漂わせています。このユニークな取組みはモダニズム建築保存の先駆的事例であり、これを紹介することがテーマの一つです。
二つ目は本展の中心テーマになるもので、イームズデザインの現代性と未来につながる価値を掘り下げています。二人の協働作業において一貫しているのが “DESIGN FOR LIVING”、デザインを通してより良い暮らしを実現するという思想であり、機能性、合理性、素材の特性に適ったデザインを反復のプロセスによって丹念に追求し、実現しています。細部、特に部分と部分の関係を大切にデザインして全体を組み立てる、ということはイームズデザインの特徴であり、イームズハウスにも、また椅子の開発の軌跡にも見て取ることができます。感性面では二人は補完しあう関係にあり、暮らしの中で二人の琴線に触れて集められた家具什器、置物、装飾等は、抽象性の高いイームズハウスが個性溢れる住まいへと様相を変えていく上で大きな役割を果たしています。本展では、その中から日本に縁の深い民芸品やレイのオリジナルスケッチを展示しています。
三つ目のテーマは日本との相互作用に関する内容です。会場のシェルチェアは1950年代初頭にイサム･ノグチを介して剣持勇と猪熊弦一郎のもとに届けられた日本で初めてのもので、大きな刺激となった貴重な文化遺産です。 イームズ夫妻も、日本文化に内在するモダニズム感覚に触れ、感性を刺激された痕跡がハウスの中に見て取れます。
イームズ夫妻は生涯で100本近くの映像を制作しており、「パワーズ･オブ･テン」に代表される表現は、今日見てもなお新鮮です。イームズデザインを理解する上で映像コンテンツは不可欠であり、映像コーナーを設けました。
最後に、映像データを含めて、数多くの貴重な資料をご提供いただきました関係者の皆様、ご支援ご協力いただきました方々に対しまして、心より感謝申し上げます。
This exhibition, our 101st, focuses on the Eames House, the residence and studio built in Pacific Palisades, California by Charles and Ray Eames, two of the leading architects and designers of the 20th century, and is comprised of three themes and a visual segment.
With the aim of conveying the lifestyle and design philosophy of the Eameses to future generations through architecture, a major renovation of the Eames House (constructed in 1949) is being conducted with the fervent support of those involved, and the first phase of this renovation was completed in 2014. On visiting the House, one finds the garden and plants of the interior and exterior well maintained, and the atmosphere is such that the two inhabitants seem to have been there just a few hours before. This unique renovation project is a pioneering case study for the preservation of modernist buildings, and introducing this project is one theme of this exhibition.
The second and central theme of this exhibition is to examine the modernity of Eames design and its relevance for future generations. “Design for Living,” a philosophy of creating a better life through design, is a theme that runs consistently throughout the Eameses’ work, and through a process of repetition they tirelessly pursued and created designs that are functional, practical, and suited for the materials being used. A distinctive feature of Eames design is the way the entire structure is designed and put together with a focus on the details and in particular on the relationships between the parts, and this approach can be seen not only in the Eames House but also in their chair development work. Their sensibilities complemented each other well, and the furniture, decorative objects, décor, and other items that they were moved to collect over the years played a large role in transforming what was a highly abstract “house” into a “home” with a distinctive personality. This collection of items includes folk handicrafts from Japan that are on display in this exhibition along with some of Ray’s original sketches.
The third theme concerns interactions with Japan. The shell chair on display is the actual chair that was delivered to Isamu Kenmochi and Genichiro Inokuma via Isamu Noguchi in the early 1950s, and as the first Eames chair to come to Japan, it had an enormous impact and is therefore an artifact of great cultural relevance. It is also clear from the contents of the Eames House that the Eameses themselves were exposed to and inspired by the modernist sensibility inherent in Japanese culture.
The Eameses made nearly 100 films, and their mode of expression, best exemplified by “Powers of Ten,” remains fresh to this day. The exhibition includes an area for viewing a selection of these films, which are indispensable for understanding Eames design.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who provided the visual data and numerous other valuable resources that went into this exhibition, as well as the many people whose support and cooperation made this exhibition possible.