Legacy of Innovation: the Glasgow School (1900-1910)

Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his three partners, referred to as the Glasgow School, assimilated the varied art movements of the time and created a synthesis which pointed the way to the future. As an architect, Charles adapted a form follows function ethic without the excess of Victorian decoration. He continued the tradition of Arts and Crafts truth to materials and craftsmanship, but rejected their backwards orientation to Medieval models. He turned, instead, to an amalgam of Japanese and Gothic references in open construction and the strength of the traditional Scottish Baronial style to realize his concept of the building as total work of art including interiors, furniture and decoration. Equal partners in his work, the McDonald sisters Frances, Margaret and Herbert MacNair, developed much of the graphic content for the interiors, posters, and artwork. Influenced by Symbolism, Art Nouveau and Aesthetic authors and artists, their unique interpretation of the human form as an elongated, simplified and often etherial figure connected to natural forms and muted colors was a perfect compliment to the architectural envelope. At the turn of the century, the Glasgow group became known internationally. Most notably in Vienna, their work found a new audience which championed their characteristic approach to interiors, furniture and graphics. In turn, Jugendstil, and the Vienna Secessionists created a solid basis for movements that came after, and led ultimately to 20th Century Modernism.

PRESENTED BY
Richard Stanley | Baltimore based designer and educator