It has become too common of a practice for people to find a very specific, narrow field and commit only to that. Charles and Ray Eames decided that if they had an interest in it, then it would become their business, regardless of what they had accomplished the day before. The couple contributed to art, design, science, furniture, architecture... the list goes on.
A project that blends science, film and design, "Powers of Ten," blows my mind, especially considering that it was made in 1968, before today's very liberal use of CGI in film. The photographs used to simulate a camera traveling from Chicago to beyond the Milky Way are patched together nearly seamlessly, allowing the film to convey the wondrous scale of the universe in a very accessible way.
Charles and Ray Eames had a fantastic curiosity for the world. The interests and observations they held continuously crossed over into their work. For example, the couple had a large collection of photography that documented forms as they naturally or beautifully occurred. Finding interest in the world (or even beyond in such cases as "Powers of Ten") allowed the couple to relay the elegance of nature and observation. Below is one such observation photograph of a fence's shadow on sand. Notice the gently wafting curvature and compare it to the lines created on the chair design below.
Some of Ray's cover designs for magazine
Arts & Architecture also caught my eye. It was Ray's aim to portray the magazine's avant-garde representation of art and design. She did this beautifully with these abstract forms, whether very structural or organic. The randomized repetition of figures in the last one is also fun and eye-cathcing. What I find most appealing in these covers is the presence of Ray's hand, whether through collage or pen work.
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