eames reNEW

WHEN I WAS TEACHING FIRST YEAR AT IIT WE HAD A PROJECT TO MAKE A SERIES OF EVER-LARGER DRAWINGS OF CHAIRS AND WE ASKED AROUND CHICAGO FOR FOLKS TO DONATE SOME CHAIRS TO MAKE A KIND OF REFERENCE COLLECTION FOR THE LIBRARY. PROFESSOR PETER ROESCH SAW ME DRAWING THE EAMES MOLDED PLYWOOD LOUNGE CHAIR ONE SATURDAY MORNING WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND AND REMARKED THAT I WAS HAVING MORE FUN THAN THE STUDENTS. AND HE GAVE ME TWO OF HIS; ONE WITH THE WOOD BASE AND ONE WITH THE WOODEN BASE. I, IN TURN, GAVE THE LOUNGER WITH THE STEEL BASE TO A FORMER STUDENT AND I’VE KEPT THE OTHER. AFTER A LOT OF USE AT HOME, AND THEN IN THE STUDIO, IT NEEDED A RESTORATION. I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND FURNITURE AND THE TIRESOME DEBATE ABOUT THE BORDERLANDS BETWEEN THEM. BUT THIS WAS SIMPLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A BEAUTIFUL OBJECT AND THINK ABOUT A WORLD THAT CREATED IKEA THROW-AWAY FURNITURE.