Mid-Century Iconic Chairs: The Eames' Wire Chair

Written by Mark Jennings Sunday, 19 June 2011 03:25

The Wire Chair, at a first look, could look like the earlier fibreglass side-chairs, such as the DAR (1948) and the DSR (1950) even though Charles and Ray Eames developed a brand new production technology obtaining one of the most iconic Mid-Century designs.

The Wire Chair, at a first look, could look like the earlier fibreglass side-chairs, such as the DAR (1948) and the DSR (1950) even though Charles and Ray Eames developed a brand new production technology obtaining one of the most iconic Mid-Century designs.

The transparency of this single-piece seat proposes a sculptural quality rarely seen in postwar furniture design. The influence of fine art is often considered secondary to the industrial processes and ideology of systems favoured by Charles and Ray Eames. however, in this instance, the piece's artistic value combines with its industrial process to achieve its landmark status. The artistic input of Ray Eames is married with the more engineering sensibilities provided by Charles to create a design of balanced values from both disciplines.

The Wire chair can be compared to previous fiberglass side-chairs like the DAR(1948) and the DSR (1950), and even though its shape is quite similar to them it is based on a completely different technology. Charles and Ray Eames loved to experiment new industrial processes and that's why the Wire is a symbol of their design philosophy.

Although the chair form is comfortable without the need of any upholstery, it was designed to have some seat and back-pads in different patterns and materials; from fabric to leather. like the molded fiberglass chairs series, also the Wire can be arranged with different bases, the most iconic and sculptural of which is the 'Eiffel Tower' ones which creates a dramatic vision of fine cross-hatching of chrome or black steel.

The use of the new technology of resistance-welding in furniture design expressed a futuristic vision through lightness and form. Although there is still some debate over whose design come first, the Charles and Ray Eameses' chair or Harry Bertoia'a mesh furniture for Knoll, the first American mechanical patent was awarded to the Eames design.

The importance of Charles and Ray Eames in the postwar American design history, comes from their philosophy and effort to industrially produce furniture and seats at the lowest price possible. They applied postwar technologies to the furniture industry to create mass-producible, unique and original designs. Thanks to their vision, Herman Miller become the world leader in the production of home and office furniture. The Wire chair showed to be an instant success during the mid-century as today.