Powers of 10 and the Eames Case Study House

On Sunday the Eames Office marked the Powers of Ten Day (10/10/10) and the launch of the Powers of 10 site with a wonderful celebration. The night began at the Los Angeles office which has been transformed by the Powers of 10 exhibition and is well worth a visit. As the sun set we headed over to the Eames Case Study House #8 for a tour and dinner. It was an extraordinary opportunity to see inside the Pacific Palisades home and meet members of the Eames family. My group was taken through the house by Lucia Dewey Atwood – the granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames – who is working on a book about the house (more on that project soon!) Here are some of my images from the night … and there will be more taken by a photographer far more skilled than I!

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10/10/10 – Celebrating the Genius of Charles and Ray Eames

Herman Miller has a long and rich history with designers Ray and Charles Eames. Back in 1977 the Eames’ created a short film called the Powers of Ten. As the Eames Office site reminds us “it still has the capacity to expand the way we think and view our world.”

“Over ten million people have seen the film, and it continues to be shown in classrooms, business meetings, festivals and retreats around the world. Starting with a sleeping man at a picnic, the film takes the viewer on a journey out to the edge of space and then back into a carbon atom in the hand of the man at the picnic, all in a single shot. It is an unforgettable experience.”

Coming up is a particularly important anniversary of the film as we approach 10/10/2010. This year part of the celebration will include the on-line streaming of Powers of Ten. There is also an excellent exhibition at the Eames Office in Santa Monica that explores the idea of scale that is so central to the film.

Here’s the final word from the Eames Office “Our hope is to create a community of awareness that we believe can help stretch our understanding and even tolerance. Towards this end, Teaching Scale elaborates on ways to teach using Powers of Ten in the classroom. The Eames Office is building towards 10/10/10 and the possibility of having 1,000 celebrations or more in classrooms, schools, and homes alone.”

To find out more please check the Powers of Ten blog.