Enames Lounge Chair And Ottoman Analysis

Paper #2: Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman and The Womb Chair and Ottoman

In Richard Buchanan’s article, Declaration by Design: Rhetoric, Argument, and Demonstration in Design Practice, an excerpt from Victor Margolin’s Design Discourse: History, Theory, Criticism, Buchanan argues the importance of the relation of design and rhetoric in that design is an art form of persuasion by nature and should inform viewers of the ideas of social life. He states that design is used as a form of communication to inform the intended audience with ideas of the past, present, and future, in which the rhetoric shapes society as a whole and sets new pattern for action to take place. In addition, Buchanan states that the designer acts as a speaker who “fashions …show more content…
The character of the chair and ottoman appear authoritative, demanding in its size and shape. It shows a dominance within its setting and gives power to the user while also showing a concern for beauty in simplicity. However, this seems to also show that the design is too intimidating in nature and distracts from its main argument. This is balanced with Eames’ use of the other two elements of argument and letting the design communicate more through emotion and technological reasoning. This is compared to the womb chair by Saarinen speaks with a gentle voice and displays the virtue of comfort and safety. The character of the womb chair and ottoman reflects the characteristics of its given name and ultimately expresses Saarinen’s main intent. The overall character of the two seems to reflect a practical nature but still values simplicity in design and shape. By using a simple silhouette, Saarinen brings about a quality of elegance within the chair …show more content…
In Eames’ lounge chair once again, viewers can see the dynamic movement and flow from the start of the chair that extends out to the ottoman. With its use of contrasting colors and materials, the design evokes a sense of high class and simplicity. It becomes a statement that contrasts within its social space and intensifies the environment. In addition, the lounge chair and ottoman, although two separate objects, functions as one individual design that become a self-sufficient piece. By using angular and curved lines through the lounge chair, the design extends out into its own social context but stands independently as two objects come together to form one coherent design