The documentary Gray Matters explores the long, fascinating life of architect and designer Eileen Gray, whose uncompromising vision defined and defied the practice of modernism in decoration, design and architecture.
Making a reputation with her lacquer work in the beginning of the 20th century, Gray became a critically acclaimed and sought-after decorator and designer before reinventing herself as an architect. Her first and most famous building, a modernist villa on the French Riviera called E-1027, was for many years mistakenly credited to her mentor, Le Corbusier. For the most part, her pioneering work was done quietly, privately and to her own specifications. But she lived long enough (98 years old) to be rediscovered and acclaimed. Today, with her work commanding extraordinary prices and attention, her legacy, like its creator, remains elusive, contested, and compelling.
"Does justice to a life less ordinary: that of design innovator Eileen Gray. Director Marco Orsini traces the arc of Gray's creativity and influence with insight from a score of scholars, collectors and designers, from her early years working in Paris to her extraordinary home designs to her reemergence after a period of obscurity." - Dwell Magazine
"Four stars! Fascinating...a must for interiors addicts." - The Times (UK)
"Compelling and comprehensive." - The Guardian (UK)
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