EAMES: THE ARCHITECT&THE PAINTER

The Eames, a husband and wife artistic team, began to gain recognition in the post-war period and quickly established themselves as one of America's creative powerhouses. Their work had an enormous impact on fields such as architecture, film, photography and design. This documentary explores their history at a dizzying pace, yet leaves nothing out: their work for firms such as IBM and Polaroid, their working dynamic, egos, lovers and the tensions surrounding the couple are some of the many subjects covered in detail through careful interviews and quality archival material. _
  About AMERICAN PORTRAITS*:
  Seagram's Gin invites you to discover the American Portraits project, which takes a look back at the lives and work of some of the most influential personalities in 1950s America. Looking closely at the lives and work of these people forces us to rethink the way in which we view the world, and understand why the world and the cities we live in are the way they are and the objects around us designed as they are.
  The applications of this legacy are vast and incalculable. The 1950s was a decade of crisis and post-crisis which led to the redesign of many of the existing economic and social relationship models. This revised outlook led to the emergence of the consumer society and leisure culture. The artistic, economic, human, industrial, social and business dimensions were perhaps never so united.
  Today, as in the 50s, we are living in the midst of a continual process of redefinition of many of society's spheres. To find sources of inspiration we must cast our gaze back in time. Our origins and creativity have always been the drivers of change. The visionary talents of these people can therefore guide us as we reinvent ourselves.
  The programme features four documentaries detailing the work of some of the iconic personalities of this era that best represent the spirit of "American Originality". 


* The American Portraits programme will close with an interesting gathering in the Cantina café-restaurant on Monday 29 September at 8pm, featuring the participation of designer Oscar Mariné and journalist Diego Manrique, as well as architect Juli Capella and design historian Raquel Pelta. Free entry.