Eileen Gray Furniture Ireland
Her furniture specified for hotels reception areas and executive offices.
Eileen gray furniture ireland. Eileen gray born kathleen eileen moray smith. Designer artist and architect eileen gray was one of the most fascinating creative figures of the 20th century. Eileen gray born kathleen eileen moray smith. The eileen gray exhibition posthumously realised one of gray s last ambitions to have her work brought back to ireland.
9 august 1878 31 october 1976 was an anglo irish architect and furniture designer and a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. Regarded as one of the most influential 20th century designers and architects the exhibition includes such important items as the adjustable chrome table and the non conformist chair. Eileen gray ireland s most influential furniture designer one of whose chairs sold for 25million died in paris in 1976 at the age of 98. 9 august 1878 31 october 1976 eileen grey s furniture classic designs are loved by interior designers and architect world wide.
Eileen gray 1879 1976 born into an aristocratic family from county wexford ireland eileen gray entered the slade school of art in london in 1898 and moved to paris in 1902 where she spent the rest of her life interrupted only by the two world wars. Over her career she was associated with many notable european artists of her era including kathleen scott adrienne gorska le corbusier and jean badovici with whom she was romantically involved. After the war and up to her death in 1976 eileen gray continued to work as a designer on both major projects like the cultural and social centre which occupied her from 1946 1949 and on a number of smaller furniture designs. Eileen gray may be best known for her furniture designs beginning her career as a lacquer artist.
In her lacquer work and carpets writes the national museum of ireland she took traditional crafts and combined them in a radical manner with the principles of fauvism cubism and de stijl the museum goes on to claim that gray was the first designer to work in. Her body of work includes lustrous lacquered pieces her dragons chair set an auction record for modern furniture 28 million at the 2009 sale of the yves saint laurent estate and sleek chrome furnishings that rival the work of le corbusier and the members of the bauhaus as. Here mary mcguckian writer and director of eileen.