Drawing from Nature

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Feb 8, 1999

Although he is perhaps most recognized now for his buildings such as the 1897 Glasgow School of Art, and his 1902 Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), was also a master draughtsman and artist. The pencil of Mackintosh was used to translate natural form into elegant, mathematical designs. This sense of natural order was present not only in his architectural works, but in those of his furniture designs, drawings, and watercolors as well.

Mackintosh's designs were inspired in part by the influential style of Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau, which dominated art and design at the turn of the century, was stylization taken to the extreme: the forms of nature were distorted into curving, sinuous shapes. The whiplash motif, which resembles the windblown curve of a branch or stalk, came to symbolize this style and dominated design. By looking to nature, Art Nouveau artists and designers were able to break free from the historical influences of the past and create something that reflected the exuberance of the modern spirit.

There is detail and complexity to Mackintosh's work. Like the Art Nouveau artists, he drew upon the forms of nature and molded them into carefully articulated designs. It is this precision of line, pattern, and texture that became the artist's signature. One can see the traces of stylized flowers and plants in his work, and understand the geometry of the underlying forms. It is interesting to see how nature and pure calculated form can be so closely allied, yet distinctly separate in their origins. Much like the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Hector Guimard, and his contemporaries, Mackintosh was constantly striving to integrate nature and design.

Thankfully, the spirit of the Mackintosh's work still survives today. The buildings created by Mackintosh in Glasgow and surrounding areas of Scotland are healthy, vital elements of their communities. The influence of his work is also evident in everything from jewelry items and neckties to computer fonts. In many recent architectural projects, there is the increasing desire from architects and clients alike to return to the kind of complexity and detail Mackintosh so elegantly achieved. The artistic union of an architect and the pencil has, and will continue to be, an important one. And besides, it is exciting to witness the continued influence of Mackintosh - it will be interesting to see if contemporary architects build on the ideas he so eloquently expressed with his pencil.

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