Charles & Gustav

On my deathbed with cabin fever, or boredom, I was determined to emerge from the apartment on Valentine's Day a new person. I would no longer care about cold weather, checking e-mail, or saving my Won—I was out of excuses. New experiences and opportunities were passing me by and spring didn't seem very near. As if personally aligned by the universe, the Seoul Arts Center was hosting several exhibits, two of which caught my eye:  Charles Eames and Gustav Klimt.

Seoul Arts Center entrance

Gustav Klimt poster

Charles Eames poster

As interior design students in college, Andrea and I studied the designs of Charles and Ray Eames throughout our four years. Born in St. Louis, Charles Eames (1907-1978) was a forward thinker with an interest in modern architecture and design.  He briefly studied architecture at Washington University, but left for unknown reasons. According to rumors, Eames was dismissed due to his modern ideas and advocacy for Frank Lloyd Wright, however, it may have easily been his reduced performance due to sleep deprivation from his coinciding employment as an architect. A few years after opening his own architectural practice with fellow designer, Charles Gray, in St. Louis; Eames accepted an opportunity to study and teach at Cranbook Academy of Art in Michigan. While at Cranbrook, Eames met several other influential designers and developed a close professional relationship with Eero Saarinen, who would later go on to design the St. Louis Arch. Together they focused on work for the St. Louis waterfront and created other base pieces of furniture, which Eames would later develop into his most notable designs. In 1941, Eames married his second wife, Ray Kaiser (1912-1988), and moved to Los Angeles. Throughout their remaining years together, they created ground-breaking designs and paved the way for modern art and architecture today. 

 

An explosion of Eames furniture—some old and authentic, some new

The Eames lounge chair and ottoman are among the Eames' most significant pieces.

Eames Wire Chair and Walnut Stools

Eames Aluminum Group lounge chair with Herman Miller (the manufacturer) tag—oops!

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was born near Vienna, Austria to an artistic, but poor family. He attended the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, and studied as an architectural painter for several years. His most prominent subject, the female nude, was bittersweet for his career. Later awarding him praise, Klimt's erotic nude figures were criticized early on in his career. Although Klimt boasts hundreds of drawings and landscape paintings, he is probably best known for the work completed during his "Golden Phase."  Beautiful Venetian mosaics were the likely inspiration for Klimt's gold technique and Byzantine imagery. Klimt's contribution to the Symbolism and Art Nouveau movements was as unique and varied as the painter himself.

 

The only picture I was allowed to take near the Klimt exhibit...

Klimt's most famous painting, and my favorite, The Kiss (1907-1908). Unfortunately, like many of his pieces, this was not included in the exhibit and still rests at its home in the Belvedere museum in Vienna, Austria.

Judith I (1901), depicts the Old Testament heroine with the head of Holofernes. This was the most prized piece within the exhibit.

The Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (1907), not included in the exhibit, was purchased in 2006 by the Neue Galerie in New York for $135 million, the highest recorded price of a purchased painting. The record was previously held by Picasso's Boy With a Pipe.

 

The Tree of Life (1909) was also missing from the exhibit...

Despite the lack of actual paintings by Klimt (there were plenty by other artists who were inspired by Klimt's work), the exhibit was interesting and informative. More than enough drawings were on display leaving little to the imagination when it comes to the female body. Interestingly, Klimt's work has inspired artists from all genres including fashion, textiles, and jewelry-making. The Seoul Arts Center included an inspiring sampling of relevant works.

Being surrounded by beautiful art always refreshes my perspective and I left the Seoul Arts Center with a spring in my step and a renewed determination to venture into the cold weather in the name of exploration. A warm chai latte from Starbucks afterwards didn't hurt, either. 

For an audio/visual version of what we thought about the museum, check out the video: