Eileen Gray s Masterpiece Photographed by Gordon Watkinson Foto+Synthesis organizes traveling exhibitions, accompanying publications and educational programming encompassing a wide array of topics, bringing together different ideas and influences through the unique perspective of the photographic image. www.fotosynthesis.com
The Project Since its completion in 1929, Eileen Gray s E.1027 has been an object of intrigue and fascination. While the house is known among the architecture and design community, its complex history as well as its unique architectural quality and setting have yet to reach a wide audience. The original pieces of furniture and objects conceived by Eileen Gray for the villa have attained cult status, and their re-editions, most notably the table E.1027, have become ubiquitous items of interior design. Despite these achievements however, few people know the identity of the person behind these seminal examples of the modernist era. Eileen Gray & E.1027 36 years after her death in Paris in 1976 at the age of 98 Eileen Gray remains, despite a series of publications since the mid 1980s, an enigmatic figure. Born in Ireland in 1878 she settled in France in 1906 where she quickly became a highly sought after designer of Art Deco interiors and furniture in the 1910s and 1920s. After the First World War Eileen Gray began to turn her attention to architecture and to a more functional approach of design combined with a very personal sense of comfort and elegance. Between 1926 and 1929 she conceived her first and most iconic architecture piece with the help of her partner the Romanian architect Jean Badovici, an intimate villa on the French Riviera, which she playfully named E.1027: E for Eileen, 10 for J (for Jean, the 10th letter of the alphabet), 2 for B (for Badovici), and 7 for G (for Gray). In her holistic approach Eileen Gray designed all of the furniture for the house, including the rugs, lamps, mirrors, studying the colors of each of the walls. Among these objects, the bedside table E.1027, which she designed for her sister who enjoyed her breakfast in bed, has become one the most iconic design pieces of the 20th century however few people are aware of its origin. When Le Corbusier, a big admirer of E.1027, painted a series of colorful yet invasive frescos throughout the house without Eileen Gray s permission, she left the villa that she had so much conceived as a mirror of herself, in an impulsive and somewhat unexplained move. In the following decades the house went through a tumultuous history of passion, betrayal, and even murder, until its complete abandon in the 1980s. Finally acquired by the French government in 1999 it has been under intense restoration since 2006 and is scheduled to open to the public late 2012. 1
Exhibition American photographer Gordon Watkinson has been granted access to photograph the house prior to its opening to the public in 2012. The ensuing project will incorporate architecture, design, and photography, offering a contemporary exploration of Eileen Gray s masterpiece on the French Riviera. In a compelling combination of new photographs of the villa and re-editions of objects and furniture, the exhibition will give to the public the unique opportunity to experience the symbiotic quality of the furniture in the context of the house. Gordon Watkinson s singular perspective will emphasize the beauty and simplicity of Eileen Gray s work, underlining the common traits of her design and architecture. In addition to the photographs, furniture and objects, the exhibition will display an introductory text as well as contributions by Peter Adam (Eileen Gray s biographer), Ron Arad (Ron Arad Studios), Zeev Aram (Aram Design), Pierre Bergé (Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent, invited), and Raymund Ryan (Curator of the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh). A comprehensive time line of both Eileen Gray s life and E.1027 from the original planning of the house to its latest restoration, as well as a map locating the villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, will round up the presentation. 2
Gordon Watkinson Gordon Watkinson borrowed a camera for a photography class he took at the age of 24 while attending Virginia Commonwealth University. Although he had never thought of photography in a serious way, after completing the course his professor saw enough in his work that he encouraged Watkinson to reconsider his career choice and arranged for him to begin working as a photographic assistant. Watkinson has spent the past 18 years working as a commercial photographer for a broad range of clients from the fields of advertising, architecture, design, and fashion. In conjunction with his photographic work he has directed commercials, made industrial videos, and worked directly with major corporations as well as specialized brands, helping them to develop visual strategies for targeted markets. Over the years he developed a strong sensitivity for both forms and materials, which has shaped his visual approach and strengthened his fascination for timeless and minimalist design. Watkinson s latest project, the exhibition Bauhaus twenty-21: An Ongoing Legacy, has been traveling throughout Europe since its opening in March 2009 and is scheduled to travel worldwide until the Summer of 2015. The companion publication to the exhibition was published in English, German, Polish and will soon be available in a Chinese edition. The Press about Gordon Watkinson s previous project Bauhaus twenty-21: An Ongoing Legacy A true revelation. Nice Matin (France) The most original exhibition and publication on the topic of the Bauhaus came 2009 from New York photographer Gordon Watkinson: [ ] a project at the intersection between conceptual art and architecture theory, that one can only recommend. Hans-Michael Koetzle, PHOTO International (Germany) Watkinson succeeds not only in unveiling traces of the Bauhaus in contemporary architecture; his photographs bring buildings to life as real tangible experiences, wondrously tinged in grey and blue. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) For the American photographer Gordon Watkinson, the architecture of the Bauhaus masters Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Hannes Meyer, Georg Muche and Richard Paulick are works of art, which he has portrayed with discerning reverence. [ ] In the DAM in Frankfurt, this photographic dialogue is played out in a landscape of room-high planes that evoke the modernist ideal of flowing space. The exhibition illustrates just how much the appearance and inventiveness of architecture is linked to developments in society. Radio Bayern 2 (Germany) 3
Preliminary Specifications Introductory panel - Introductory text - Photograph of Eileen Gray (portrait by Berenice Abbott) Photographs by Gordon Watkinson approx. 20 Archival pigment prints mounted on aluminum 42 x 58 inches / 106.68 x 147.32 cm Detailed plans and drawings of E.1027 (interior and exterior) 2 5 Map locating E.1027 1 Furniture and objects by Eileen Gray (re-editions) for a room installation 7 to 10 Time line combining - the life of Eileen Gray - the history of E.1027 from the original planning to the latest restoration Space Requirements: approx. 1000 to 2000 square feet / approx. 100 to 200 square meters Security: Limited Participation Fee: Upon request Schedule Expected Opening: Fall 2013 Publication In conjunction with the exhibition Foto+Synthesis will create a limited edition portfolio. Educational Program Foto+Synthesis offers the following educational opportunities with the photographer Gordon Watkinson: Telling a Story: Photography & Architecture 2 day-workshop for middle and high school students Participants will learn how to use a series of photographs to illustrate a personal vision while developing an awareness of the local built environment. Anatomy of a Photo Project 1 day-seminar for university photography & art students, or/and general audience Participants will learn how to develop a photographic project, from conception through planning for its realization in book or/and exhibition form. Guided tours of the exhibition with Gordon Watkinson Guided tours of the exhibition with photographer Gordon Watkinson for targeted audiences (general, children, high school students, art/photography/architecture/ design students, architects, etc.) 4
Contact Alexandra Le Faou Foto+Synthesis P +1 646 233 3621 F +1 212 202 4845 alexandra@fotosynthesis.com www.fotosynthesis.com All photographs Gordon Watkinson 5