Eames by Yang
A review of Charles and Ray: Designers at Play, a Story of Charles and Ray Eames
This book is another magnificent work of art by illustrator James Yang, who both wrote and illustrated it. It is sumptuous and luxurious, with beautiful spread illustrations. It is terrific to hold with its creamy paper stock. It is beautifully made and has a reinforced binding. The artwork alone is reason enough to enjoy it. However, James's ability to get to the essence of his subject matter sets it apart. Also worth noting, this book is typeset in Eames Century Modern, which fits the subject matter perfectly.
After reading Charles and Ray: Designers at Play, I did some refresher research on Charles and Ray Eames, which underscored how this book captures them to their core. It is an imagined story based on their real lives, and its very foundation is James's bold images, a signature style of his, that are deceptively simple while being loaded with content.
Charles, the architect, and Ray, the painter, were perfect complements, sharing their love for play and joy in life and infusing these into their work. They showed us that an adult with a child's sense of wonder is okay. It was how their creativity thrived. Even though this book is rated for age range 4-8, it is a not-so-hidden secret that adults love it too.
James touches on profound moments in the Eameses life and work. Indeed, their lives were so intertwined that Charles and Ray were frequently called "one." Among the achievements that James depicts is the invention of the machine that molded plywood into natural shapes to create more comfortable splints for soldiers, creating "the best chair of the twentieth century," using color and shape to "make hanging up your clothes fun," creating toys both kids and adults will love because "adults need to play too," transforming blocks into cabinets, and (my favorite) installing a painting onto the ceiling because "why not?" As James so eloquently writes, Charles and Ray were continually "asking questions, working and playing together until they found answers."
James and his wife, choreographer and modern dancer Man-Yee Abby Yang, as conveyed in James’s witty Facebook posts, have a playful and lively relationship that reminds me of Charles and Ray. Bringing this book full circle, James reveals in his Author's Note that he and Abby enjoy breakfast each morning while sitting on their beloved Eames dining chairs. He dedicates this book to The Jetsons, an early inspiration, and to "everyone who likes chairs that are meant to be chairs."
Traci Churchill
Roswell, Georgia
February 13, 2025
Side note: Thankfully, the Eames House in Pacific Palisades, California, survived the recent fires
Feast your eyes on these beautiful spreads:
