 ...................THERE IS HOPE IN HONEST ERROR, NONE IN THE ICY PERFECTIONS OF THE MERE STYLIST.................. Chas. R. Mackintosh. Glasgow 1901.
In 1884 he began an apprenticeship with John Hutchinson. In 1889 he became an architectural assistant with Honeyman and Keppie and also enrolled at the Glasgow School of Art where he met and developed an artistic relationship with Margaret MacDonald, her sister Frances Macdonald and Herbert McNair whom soon came to be known as "The Glasgow Four", or "The Spook School", the Four exhibited posters, furnishings, and a variety of highly individual designs in Glasgow, London, Vienna and Turin. These exhibitions helped establish Mackintosh's reputation. In 1890 he won a travelling scholarship, touring Italy before settling down into his architectural practice. His individual style that is instantly recognisable throughout the world makes him one of the best known and one of the most important architect/designers in history, designing The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland Street School, Martyers School, Daily Record Building, Queens Cross church, Mrs Cranston's tearooms, Hill House his greatest domestic achievement and House for an Art Lover which was not built in his lifetime but realised when the house was built within Bellahouston Park, Glasgow opening to the public in 1996, to name but a few.... A gifted architect, interior designer and decorator, an exhibition designer, a designer of furniture, metalwork, textiles, stained glass, and a water colourist another gift he developed at Walbeswick in Suffolk England, (a stones throw from 'Puritan Values premises' here in Southwold). He continued painting water colour's in his latter years in France. He was a pioneer of the Modern Movement in Scotland, England and throughout Europe and C R Mackintosh's works exist as some of the greatest achievements of all time from the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He died in London in 1928. Researched and written by Tony Geering. |
