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Charles Rennie Mackintosh

There were two very good programmes shown last night on the BBC about Charles Rennie Mackintosh to coincide with the centenary of the Glasgow School of Art on the 15th December 2009 (check the Glasgow School of Art website for further details of events to coincide with this).  The first documentary primarily dealt with the life and career of the man, the love of his life and wife Margaret MacDonald, his prominence to the Architectural Hall of Fame, their popularity as a creative team in continental Europe (primarily in Austria where the Art nouveau movement was flourishing) and ultimate depression in failing to realise his architectural vision due to the outbreak of the first World War and lack of appreciation in the UK.

 

It was also good to see Margaret MacDonald's own artisitc work here given a platform, as noted by a historian on the programme that she was one of the most accomplished artists of her time, an inspiration, creative partner and soul mate of Mackintosh.  (As commented to my partner at the time this is all great material for a screen biopic of this great creative team, so if there are any script writers reading this then you've already sold your first film entrance...so long as you don't get a token American actress to play the lead female role or create a Hollywood version of history i.e. the Mackintosh's  happens to meet William Wallace in France...)

 

The Sleeping Princess gesso panel by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh was completed in 1906 and is set into a recess above the fireplace in the Drawing Room of The Hill House.

 

The second documentary focussed more on his greatest achievement, the design of the Glasgow School of Art and the legacy of this building for the city of Glasgow, Scotland, it's former pupils (host of familiar names here from Robbie Coltrane to one of my personal favourites David Shrigley) and current students.  It was quite a personal portrait of what the building means to them, the associations and affection for the building (a sign of good architecture in my book if someone can have a real affinity and affection for a building).  

 

Whether you love or hate his work there's no denying the influence he holds in modernist architecture, the late Enric Miralle's wife featured here also giving a nod to Mackintosh's influence on the design of the Scottish Parliament Building. But he has more than an architecural or artistic heritage, Charles Rennie Mackintosh is one of Scotlasnd's great cultural icons both here and abroad.  Sadly for the man it's taken the passing of time for the people of Glasgow and the rest of the UK to recognise him as one of their greatest as during his time he was even treated as a spy for his unorthodox looks and the small mindedness of people on the west coast and London included.

 

And now I have a guilty confession to make - I have only ever reached as far as the main staircase in the "Mac" as it's been endearingly called but I have been to both tearooms (of which one is a replica).  Hopefully I get to rectify this the next time i'm in Glasgow and see for myself this working, living space which houses a celtic forest and that still charms and inspires people today.

 

Facade of Glasgow School of Art 

Links

 

http://www.gsa.ac.uk - Official website of the Glasgow School of Art, internationally recognised as one of Britain's foremost higher education institutions for creative education and research.

http://www.crmsociety.com - The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society is an independent, non-profit making charity, established in 1973 to promote and encourage awareness of the Scottish architect and designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.