Art Nouveau (new art)
Mackintosh Chair
Charlie Mac was born June 7, 1868 – December 10, 1928) was a
Scottish architect, designer, and watercolourist. He was a designer in
the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main exponent of Art
Nouveau in the United Kingdom.
Scarcely dead before art critics began calling him a pioneer of
modernism, the United Kingdom's master of art nouveau, and the
last great Victorian architect, Mackintosh's reputation has withstood
the test of time.
Mackintosh Chair
Charles Rennie Mackintosh is famous, amongst other things, for designing
the Glasgow School of Art, but he’s better known as a furniture designer.
This Scottish born son of a policeman completely stripped back the fuss
and frills of the period and introduced a radical simplicity to furniture.
From that point on, interior design changed forever.
Mackintosh’s avant-garde style had huge international impact, at a time
when design was dominated by continental Europe.
While Mackintosh is known as an early exponent of the organic shapes
and forms of Art Nouveau, what this design shows is that he very much
developed his own unique style, with bold geometric lines and shapes.
Furniture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
For many people, Mackintosh is most closely
associated with furniture. His earliest work
shows a strong affinity to the Arts and Crafts
movement. His final designs are a precursor to
the Art Deco movement and highlight the
diversity in his design and often unique choice
of colours, shapes and forms.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh Architecture
Mackintosh is internationally celebrated as
one of the foremost architects of the early
20th century. The majority of his buildings,
including his masterpiece The Glasgow
School of Art, are located in Glasgow and
surrounding area. The Glasgow School of Art
(1896-99 & 1907-9) is regarded by many as
his masterpiece, where he gives full
expression to his architectural ideals.
In 1902 Mackintosh received another
significant commission when he was
asked to design The Hill House in
Helensburgh by Walter Blackie,
director of the well-known Glasgow
publishers, commissioned not only the
house and garden, but much of the
furniture and all the interior fittings
and decorative schemes.
Art Nouveau set itself
apart from the
previous design
movement Arts &
Crafts, which rebelled
against new materials
that were regarded as
being symbolic of
industrialisation.
Instead, Art Nouveau
followers viewed these
industrial materials as
new media in which to
express their artistic
visions.
If “the hand of the
artist” was the motto of
the Arts & Crafts
movement, then Art
Nouveau would further
the motto by adding,
“with the best tool for
the job”.