Janet Gogerty's Blog: Sandscript - Posts Tagged "art-nouveau"
Sandscript on Charles Rennie Mackintosh
On Friday 23rd May there were news reports of a terrible fire at the Glasgow School of Art and that day it appeared the building was lost, though students and staff all got out safely. The students feared the inevitable loss of their hard work, especially final year students preparing for their end of degree exhibition. For the people of Glasgow and Scotland it was the loss of one of their most loved buildings.
Two days later it seems the building has survived, but the iconic library, thought to be the best example of Art Nouveau, has been destroyed.
The School of Art was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and built between 1897 and 1909; a building still in use because it was designed so well for its purpose. Mackintosh was keen it should be a harmonious environment for students and teachers. His concern was also to design around the needs of people as individuals who should enjoy art as well as practical function. Mackintosh’s architectural designs often included the decoration and furnishing of the buildings, the reason why people delight in his work. Also an artist, he took the modernist ideas emerging throughout Europe, innovation and new technology, but developed his own unique style. Contrasting strong angles and inspiration from nature, those who don’t know much about his architecture will recognize the Mackintosh Rose motif.
For the people living then, the end of the Nineteenth and beginning of the Twentieth Century were modern times, full of new wonders and hope for an exciting future, what to us now were the halcyon days before the sinking of the Titanic and the Great War. I’m sure many of us have wondered how the Twentieth Century would have progressed if the First World War had not taken away so much potential talent, drained so much energy. Would we be living, working and enjoying the arts in beautiful well designed buildings; developing technology to help people, instead of it emerging as a sideline to war?
Two days later it seems the building has survived, but the iconic library, thought to be the best example of Art Nouveau, has been destroyed.
The School of Art was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and built between 1897 and 1909; a building still in use because it was designed so well for its purpose. Mackintosh was keen it should be a harmonious environment for students and teachers. His concern was also to design around the needs of people as individuals who should enjoy art as well as practical function. Mackintosh’s architectural designs often included the decoration and furnishing of the buildings, the reason why people delight in his work. Also an artist, he took the modernist ideas emerging throughout Europe, innovation and new technology, but developed his own unique style. Contrasting strong angles and inspiration from nature, those who don’t know much about his architecture will recognize the Mackintosh Rose motif.
For the people living then, the end of the Nineteenth and beginning of the Twentieth Century were modern times, full of new wonders and hope for an exciting future, what to us now were the halcyon days before the sinking of the Titanic and the Great War. I’m sure many of us have wondered how the Twentieth Century would have progressed if the First World War had not taken away so much potential talent, drained so much energy. Would we be living, working and enjoying the arts in beautiful well designed buildings; developing technology to help people, instead of it emerging as a sideline to war?
Sandscript
I like to write first drafts with pen and paper; at home, in busy cafes, in the garden, at our beach hut... even sitting in a sea front car park waiting for the rain to stop I get my note book out. We
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