The Eamesian understanding of design as a solution rather than a luxury—as something that’s about industry as much as art—encapsulates the unique philosophy and vast influence of Charles and Ray Eames. #

Their work is best remembered via the molded-plywood and leather lounge chair that bears the Eames name, but their vision of design as something that could get “the best to the greatest number of people for the least” lives on in less tangible ways. #

The couple are currently the subject of a major retrospective at London’s Barbican Center. The World of Charles and Ray Eames incorporates the breadth of their influence. #

The Barbican exhibition offers countless examples of the chairs for which the Eameses are best known, and which encapsulate their spirit of “way-it-should-be-ness”—when an object, through hard work and meticulous process, is finally realized in the incarnation of its ideal state. #

Charles and Ray Eames arrived in Los Angeles in 1941, a year after they met at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Charles was married, but Ray began assisting him, and soon he divorced his first wife and married Ray. #

In addition to furniture, houses, medical equipment, and films, the Eameses also worked on toys, like this prototype for a miniature toy house complete with Eames furniture. #

In 1949, the Eameses finished Case Study No. 8, also known as the Eames House, an experiment in modern living that became their home and studio until their deaths. #

One of the most popular features at the 1964-65 New York Worlds Fair was “Think,” an immersive video installation designed by the Eameses for the IBM Pavilion. #

Their belief that everyday objects can both define and provide meaning makes them one of the most enduring creative forces of the 20th century. They predicted the future even if they couldn’t describe it. #