Exhibition of the Macintosh in the Kremlin: "Manifesto of a new style"

Mackintosh literally embodies the whole identity of the British modern modernist style in architecture. Scotsman by birth, he devoted all his life to making the art of his homeland famous. Usually only the most significant masterpieces are exhibited at exhibitions in the Moscow Kremlin. These are works of legendary artists, sculptors and architects, recognized throughout the world.

Unusual exhibition, photo

In the rooms of the One-Pillar Chamber of the patriarchal palace, wooden chairs of different heights and styles appeared. On the walls hang paintings with unusual subjects.

Near them landscapes in a realistic style.

The contrast between modernity and abstraction is timeless in every work of the Scottish master.

Thanks to the original approach of the creators of the exhibition, the exposition was placed in another real architectural monument, where the best exhibitions are held in the Kremlin. One-pillar chamber, preserved from the XVII century, was specially chosen for the exhibition hall. The atmosphere of the exhibition center complements the work of the Macintosh.

British Art in Russia

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose exhibition opened in Moscow - an extraordinary figure, even for those accustomed to all unusual things of the British. In the modern art gallery Tate Modern there are several hundred extraordinary paintings, sculptures and decor elements. And Russian residents often admire classical art, realistic style or antiquity. There is nothing unusual in that the exhibition of Mackintosh in the Kremlin became a sensation for admirers of painting and architecture.

Charles was born in the distant 1868, and died in 1928. During his life he managed to see both national conflicts and international war. Some moments of his life were reflected in the author's works.

The representative of the art school, which is currently in the industrial city of Glasgow, Mackintosh glorified Scotland for many years. The Art Nouveau literally came to life under his drawing tools. He became renewed and played a new meaning.

He lived at the turn of the twentieth century and created on the brink of a junction of several arts.

Modern in a new way

Mackintosh gave a second wind to modernity, which at the turn of the twentieth century began to outlive itself. Artist by vocation, he successfully combined drawing with architecture.

By creating furniture projects or by brushing on canvas, Mackintosh, whose exhibition enjoys such popularity, was never afraid of new forms, a combination of colors. And the materials that he chose for new creations made each of his work absolutely unique. The main inspiration was the geometric figures.

Prior to Charles Mackintosh, contemporary art of that time had a completely different appearance. Becoming popular at the time, the style of the architect is popular to this day. The symbiosis of modernity and classical school, experiments and tradition can not be better represented by an exhibition in the Kremlin.

Who is this Macintosh?

In Scotland, the father of modernity is called Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The artist's talent was noticed even in the senior classes, which he combined with the evening courses at the art school of the city of Glasgow. For his outstanding abilities, Charles received an additional scholarship, which gave him the opportunity to visit Italy and France. In these countries he contemplated masterpieces of architecture, monuments, paintings. Back in his native Scotland, Mackintosh decided what he wanted from life, and began to realize the dream.

He did not hesitate to work as a simple draftsman at a local architectural firm, in which he later became the owner. Already in 1893 there was the first amazing project of Charles, the tower of "Glasgow Herald". Charles married a classmate from the art school and lived with her a happy life.

Despite the fact that Europe accepted his work enthusiastically, in the conservative UK the courage of the architect was not appreciated.

Genius was a member of the group of artists called "Quartet". The group was created during Charles's student years. It included his friend Herbert McNair, as well as two sisters, Francis and Margaret McDonald. Together they created an entirely new style of design called "Glasgow Style".

Now the exhibition Charles Rennie Mackintosh is already a brand known all over the world.

Macintosh

Charles McIntosh tried to do things his own way. He quickly developed that style, which was difficult to attribute to some other. At first, critics called the method of work "from the inside out," and then dubbed "Mackintoshism."

All the buildings that Charles designed must have existed in harmony with the interior decoration, with furniture. The house itself and the objects in it became one organism.

His work is very functional, no frills, beautiful elegant form. It was Charles Mackintosh, whose exhibition is also available now to the Russian public, led the modernist style along a new constructive path, with rigorous mathematically exact lines and unusual construction.

Works of the architect

In Glasgow, several buildings have been built for the Mackintosh projects. His work is easy to learn. In addition, they successfully complement the local appearance.

The most famous buildings of Mackintosh:

• The building of the private house Hill House;
• Native to the Mackintosh School of Arts;
• A local educational institution in Glasgow;
• Tea willow rooms;
• The Queens Cross Church.

These buildings look like locks. Charles specifically focused on this model to emphasize the belonging of architecture to the traditions of Scotland.

Mackintosh was not afraid to mix in his buildings steel, glass, concrete.

Furniture from the designer

The boundless imagination of the architect and artist, did not allow to dwell on what has been achieved.

He tried himself in a variety of forms of art. After successful architectural decisions, the city's buildings, Mackintosh set to work on furniture. The exhibition of the mackintosh in the Kremlin also presented samples of his works to the court of Russian spectators.

Each piece of furniture made by the designer is unique. The second such does not exist. Charles decorated his chairs and tables with silver, framed them in metals, covered them with enamel or inserted colored glass in them.

Design from the genius

In addition to furniture and designing houses, he created sketches for panels, textiles, windows, door stained-glass windows, fireplaces and even clocks. To decorate the walls in their homes, he came up with stencils, and this became his business card. He basically decorated all with roses, which symbolized the author himself.

Few people know that Charles Mackintosh drew street posters and posters. He worked on design for tickets, advertising and so on.

The designer came up with his signature font. Every letter he deduces is also considered a work of art.

Drawings

Mackintosh did not immediately come to ordinary painting. In his youth he was more interested in three-dimensional figures, which he could erect.

In his old age he changed the drawing pen for a brush. In the declining years, Charles actively painted landscapes, still lifes. All this was done in watercolors, in his personal, easily recognizable style.

The architect's paintings are especially valuable, because they were not created so much, and each of his paintings is considered a national asset of Scotland and the UK as a whole.

What to see at the exhibition?

Representatives of the museum in Glasgow could not translate the architectural masterpieces of Mackintosh and confined themselves to smaller works, but no less extensive.

The main exhibits at the exhibition are:

• Mackintosh paintings, watercolor landscapes painted from Scotland;
• Unique furniture, in the form of chairs and tables;
• Mirrors;
• Samples of interiors;
• Stencils with famous author's type;
• Lamp.

The highlight of the collection was the interior elements that Mackintosh made to order for individuals from Glasgow and nearby villages. In this room there is a table, an armchair and even a mirror designed according to its design. All together creates a composition, as the author indicated in his drawing. Also in Russia were brought and several types of furniture from the tea room in the Chinese style.

Without sustained strict consistency, the designed furniture loses its artistic value as an art object. Therefore, when the Macintosh exhibition was being created in the Kremlin, guests from Scotland carefully consulted their Russian colleagues.

Unfortunately, some of the items that were supposed to be at the exhibition suffered during the fire. In Glasgow, the creation of the Mackintosh, the school of arts, was on fire. His native alma mater. Representatives of the school were to transfer some copies of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh to the exhibition in the Kremlin Museum, but could not because of the tragedy.

Having learned about this, the representatives of the exhibition in Moscow expressed their sympathy and hope that the school will be able to recover soon, and also continue cooperation with their intermediaries in the future.

The patriarchal palace, or rather its One-Pillar Chamber, which hosted the exhibition, is sure of its success. This show has become a program for the entire series of exhibitions that are held in the Kremlin's museums in Moscow. The organizers of the exhibitions continue to implement their plan. They strive to acquaint Muscovites and visitors with the most outstanding and outstanding representatives of the world art of the present and the last century.

One-post chamber, after many attempts, was finally restored in 2005. Then it was the first time they decided to turn it into a showroom for exhibitions. Only the best exhibitions in Moscow could get there.

The Chamber is a true monument of civil architecture, which came to us from the depths of the seventeenth century. During the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the existence of the Kremlin museums, this building housed a solemn exhibition in honor of the Russian emperors and their Armory Chamber.

The staff of the Russian museum were very pleased with the opportunity to host the work of the Macintosh. The exhibition of the Macintosh in the Kremlin began its work.