Scottish architect, designer, and painter Charles Rennie Mackintosh
(1868-1928) was one of the earliest pioneers of modern architecture and
design. While he did not receive much recognition in his hometown of
Glasgow during his lifetime, his bold new blend of simplicity and poetic
detail inspired modernists across Europe.
Mackintosh's avant-garde approach embraced a variety of media as well as
fresh stylistic devices. His multi-faceted oeuvre incorporated
architecture, furniture, graphic design, landscapes, and flower studies.
He embraced strong lines, elegant proportions, and natural motifs,
combining an adventurous dose of japonisme with a modernist sensibility
for function. He preferred bold black typography, restrained shapes, and
tall, generous windows suffusing rooms with light.
Much of his work was collaborative practice with his wife, fellow artist
Margaret Macdonald. The couple made up half of the loose Glasgow
collective known as "The Four"; the other two were Margaret's sister,
Frances, and her husband, Herbert MacNair. On the continent, the
"Glasgow Style" was met with delight. In Italy, Germany, and, in
particular, Austria, artists of the Viennese Secession and Art Nouveau
drew much from its rectilinear yet lyrical forms.
In this introductory book, we take in Mackintosh's practice across art,
architecture, and design to explore his particular combination of the
statuesque and sensual and its vital influence on modernist expression
across Europe. Featured projects include his complete scheme for the
Willow Tea Rooms and the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of
Art, widely considered Mackintosh's masterwork.
