Charles Rennie Mackintosh: A design for life

Arguably Glasgow's most celebrated designer and architect, Mackintosh was respected around the World yet, for a time, seemed a forgotten man in his native Scotland. Gavin Smith rediscovers one of Scotland's favourite sons

For the great and the good of Scottish tourism it must be a relief to have found something tasteful and distinctive, apart from whisky, to sell as ‘Scottish’ instead of ‘Nessies’ wearing Tartan and Gretna Green souvenirs. Much of the merchandise related to Mackintosh is as classy as the man’s own work – well, almost. Though some of the less well-executed merchandise is dismissed by true aficionados as ‘Mockintosh’.

So just who was Mackintosh and what is so special about his style of design that it is a byword for respectable Scottish souvenirs?

The Glaswegian policeman’s son was an architect, designer and artist, credited with pioneering the Modern Movement in Scotland. A crucial part of Mackintosh’s approach was the concept of ‘total design’, and his attention to detail was exhaustive, with every aspect of a project from foundations to curtain fabric claiming his attention.

Mackintosh’s architectural philosophy involved radically updating the Scottish Baronial style, favouring elegantly rectilinear designs, free from what he called ‘antiquarian detail’. He was a collector of Japanese architectural books and prints, and in much of his work traditional Scottish design meets art nouveau, harnessing the simplicity of Japanese form in the process.

According to Kevin Matthews of GreatBuildings.com, “Mackintosh created buildings notable for the elegance and clarity of their spatial concepts, the skillful exploitation of natural and artificial lighting, and skillful detailing.”.....

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By Gavin D. Smith

Section : Scottish People

Page number : 22