"Why am I so interested in chairs? Mainly because they are sculptural; I enjoy looking at them from all sides—even from the underneath. In addition, chairs are intriguing because they are so similar to us. They are anthropomorphic; in other words, they have the same body parts as we do. Most have a seat, back and legs; some have arms; others can have feet and even a few, knees. Very, very few have ears. When looking at a chair, I often look to see if they also, like us, have a gender or a personality. I have found that some do, and many of the chairs that my students create definitely do.” Carla Hartman

Carla Hartman, aka Chairs Lady, has long been fascinated by the anthropomorphism of chairs—and the endless possibilities afforded chair designers. Carla’s grandfather, Charles Eames, often spoke of the desirability of having constraints within a project.

In Chair Camp, developed in 1998 by Hartman while a Master Teacher of Architecture, Design & Graphics at the Denver Art Museum, the constraints of materials are established by a single bag of material.

And yet that same bag yields astonishing results. Each chair is so different, yet so familiar. The first phase of the workshop involves exploring, designing and building. The use of the same materials allows the end products’ similarities and differences to become “aha” moments of discovery.

The second phase—the photo shoot—completes the chair making event. Choose a backdrop to “pop” your chair; study its "best side” in the Photo Booth; angle your shot--all to make a memento. The miniature chair becomes monumental.

The miniature chair that you create in this workshop is sure to be a treasured keepsake for years to come.

Carla Atwood Hartman, granddaughter of Charles and Ray Eames and daughter of designer Lucia Eames Atwood, has been the Director of Education for the Eames Office since 2004. She collaborates with museums, schools, institutions, and the public to extend the creative legacy of Charles and Ray Eames through interactive programming and exhibitions, publications, and product development. While much of her current work focuses on the Eameses, she also uses chairs—a singular collecting passion (hence her moniker “Chairs Lady”)—as teaching tools about design and the design process.

She shares with others her love of chairs—their anthropomorphism, sculptural qualities, and potential as vehicles for exploration of self and others.

Prior to becoming involved with the Eames Office, she enjoyed thirteen years of museum experience at the Denver Art Museum, primarily within the Department of Architecture, Design and Graphics as a curatorial assistant and later as its educator.