PDE student
Eames The Architect & the Painter
Ray's Sadness
Since the cooperation with IBM, Charles has led and created a series of science-themed films, most notably ‘Power of Ten’ in 1977. At that time, Charles's creations became more and more focused on science and ideas and paid less attention to visual beauty, which Ray oversaw. Gradually she became marginalized. She can do some beautification, or set up a few scenes, but she is no longer the central character of the creative team. Ray also sensed the loss inside of her heart, so she said sentimentally in the middle of the film that she is not a mathematician, nor an architect and due to the lack some specific training, she just tried to assist as she can. And if she can’t, then she can’t.
From my perspective, Ray doesn't have to be so sentimental. The creation of Charles is nothing but a kind of propaganda with the coat of science and thought. The message he conveys through art is about science, but this doesn't make it superior. For instance, the film ‘Information Machine’ produced for IBM is only to eliminate people's fear of computers, not to explore the relationship between computers and human beings. Ray shouldn't be put off by her inadequacies in science and math because her intuition may be closer to the truth.
Yet, Ray's loss did not begin with a lack of proficiency in math and science, and it had been planted inside of herself very early, from Charles, and from Ray herself. One designer interviewed said that everyone wanted Charles, and nobody wanted Ray. From the beginning, Charles had a wider network, a steady stream of clients and admirers, and a constant source of feedback and inspiration. And Ray only had Charles and Eames Office. During the interview, the two female employees of the Eames Office, Jeannine Oppewall and Tina Beebe, impressed me the most. Jeannine's voice has a metallic texture, and her tone is loud, while Tina is calmer, but her unhurried tone has the certainty and majesty of doomsday. The two seem to have a common understanding of Ray's situation. Tina said that Ray's pursuit of details and perfection limited her (the perfectionism had crippled her). In the description of Ray, the words beginning with ‘c’ appeared more than once, like cripple, crush, and so on, as if Ray is fragile. I hope this was just the wishful thinking of bystanders, but thinking about what Ray said, ‘If I can't, then I can't’, I can't help but believe that these people are hitting the crux of Ray. Internal and external factors made Ray a subordinate and an artist who lost her voice.
