Gray Matters

Born to an Irish mother and English father, architect Eileen Gray (1878-1976) spent little time in either country as an adult. Her family was aristocratic and artistic, but this "mother of modernity" always remained true to her own unique vision. Filmmaker Marco Orsini's Gray Matters describes Gray's long life and career as a "rolling experiment." Drawn early to Paris, where she worked in the bathroom of her apartment, Gray created eccentric household objects and furniture using various lacquers and layering techniques. Always ahead of her time in choice of materials, Gray also worked with chrome—making screens, moveable room partitions, adjustable tables, and other multi-functional pieces (some are still in production). Not all of her ideas were welcomed, with one critic describing her decorations as creating a "room of horrors." Gray's interest in how people interacted with their living spaces led her to an increasing attention to architecture, and an association with architect Jean Badovici and the artist Le Corbusier. Her non-conformist personality was evident in three houses that she helped design in the south of France, one with the unlikely name "E-1027." Gray felt that homes should offer a protective shell from the often harsh conditions of modern life, and she designed with the aim of providing maximum sun exposure and allowing air to move freely through the house. Gray's reputation in later years was obscured by the egotism of others, sexism, and her own agoraphobia, although her rediscovery has led to scholarly reevaluations and celebrations—and record prices at auction houses. Although some facets of Gray's personal life (including her rumored bisexuality) remain a mystery here, this is a welcome and overdue tribute to an important tastemaker. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)