Charles Rennie Mackintosh is considered by many the father of Modernism. He designed homes, public buildings and over 400 pieces of furniture with the common distinction of timelessness. His designs are as cutting edge today as they were when he created them at the turn-of-the-century. In a period when other architects were erecting Greek-style temples in honor of the great modern society, Mackintosh was condemning them in lectures. He criticized architecture that harkened back to prior civilization, believing modern construction should reflect modern times. It was this core belief that drove his design.

Born in Glasgow in 1868, Mackintosh grew up in the affluence the industrial revolution provided. Glasgow at the time was a thriving city, the sixth largest in Europe, and Mackintosh flourished in its energy. In 1883 he was enrolled in the Glasgow School of Art, winning an apprenticeship with the architectural firm of John Hutchinson the following year. Mackintosh's future looked secure, if not all too brilliant. Enter Margaret Macdonald.

In the 1890s, Mackintosh began drawing and painting. His efforts proved to be a great creative outlet for him, and began to influence his building design as well. While continuing his education at the Glasgow School of Art, a professor took note of his "organic" style and introduced him to two students (sisters Frances and Margaret MacDonald) with styles he thought would mesh well with Mackintosh's own. Along with Mackintosh's pal Herbert McNair, they began designing together and The Glasgow Four (called The Spook School by critics) - with their distinctive Art Deco style - were born.

In The Life, Times and Work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Brockhampton Press, $19.13) author K. E. Sullivan strives to deliver Mackintosh's life and work. She does a first-rate job of the latter, but gives us only enough information about the designer's personal life to make us want more. Beautifully designed with 72 illustrations spread across 127 pages, it's a sumptuous feast befitting a man with so much influence on modern design.

Sullivan tells us Mackintosh's approach post-The Glasgow Four was one of totality. That is to say, his projects weren't limited to a building's architecture. He designed the interiors as well, from light fixtures to furnishings to handcrafted windows. His was a world of consummate design, his creations possessing that rare timeless combination of classicism and modernity.

Unfortunately, Sullivan reveals little about the man himself. We're given hints into his personal life. We learn he marries Margaret Macdonald and his pal marries her sister. He turns to drink, becomes frustrated in his professional life, goes broke and dies a pauper, but the cause of this change in fortune isn't clear, which only serves to pique our interest in the man. Perhaps the author states the reason for this sketchiness best when she writes:

By all accounts the very private Mackintoshes had a warm and loving relationship, sharing an affection for children, although they did not have any of their own. Their art became their offspring, and even when times became difficult, which they eventually did, and when the critics were less than approving, they took great solace in one another and the little world they had created within their own four walls.

Another publication worth mentioning on Mackintosh entitled Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Pitkin) is no more revealing. It's easy to forgive its author Fiona Davidson though, as this book at 29 pages long is barely a booklet. It does offer a concise history of Mackintosh's professional life, crammed with 73 illustrations. What it lacks in fancy design it more than makes up for in plain, useful information, making it an excellent companion to Sullivan's book. When taken together, the reader's given a thorough picture of the many accomplishments of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, although the essence of the man remains elusive as a ghost.

posted 05/01/02

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