Eileen Gray, Designer and Architect (Bard Center, Yale University Press, 2020, 2nd ed) is a fantastic, comprehensive catalogue of this elusive, influential pioneer. The catalogue was published in conjunction with an exhibition Eileen Gray held at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery from 29 February through 12 July 2020.
The hefty catalogue maps Gray’s long and versatile career in all its diversity with expert articles and high-quality exhaustive illustrations. The main chapters are: Beginnings; Being a Designer; Being an Architect; Case Studies: Decorative Arts and Design; and Case Studies: Architecture. The book has contributions by Cloe Pitiot, Nina Stritzler-Levine, Bernard Blistene, Serge Lasvignes, Jennifer Goff, Olivier Gabet, Catherine Bernard, Stephane Laurent, Ruth Starr, Anne Jacquin, Philippe Garner, Frederic Migayrou, Caroline Constant, Renaud Barres, and Frances Spalding. The book’s beautiful design is by Irma Boom.
Eileen Gray (1878–1976) was a versatile designer and architect who navigated numerous literary and artistic circles over the course of her life. This handsome volume chronicles Gray’s career as a designer, architect, painter, and photographer. The book’s essays, featuring copious new research, offer in-depth analysis of more than 50 individual designs and architectural projects, accompanied by both period and new photographs.
Born in Ireland and educated in London, Gray proceeded to Paris where she opened a textile studio, studied the Japanese craft of lacquer that would become a primary technique in her design work, and owned and directed the influential gallery and store known as “Jean Désert.” Gray struggled for acceptance as a largely self-taught woman in male-dominated professions. Although she is now best known for her furniture, lighting, and carpets, she dedicated herself to many architectural and interior projects that were both personal and socially driven, including the Villa E 1027, the iconic modern house designed with Jean Badovici, as well as economical and demountable projects, such as the Camping Tent.
– Description from the publisher’s website
We are extremely proud to have this treasure in our collections.