The Glasgow School
The Glasgow art school was built by Charles mackintosh between 1897 and 1899. The Glasgow style was developed by four young collaborators, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, James Herbert McNair, (and sisters) Margaret Macdonald and Frances Macdonald. (mylms, 2021)
Together they developed the Glasgow-school style. The Glasgow style is characterized by its melodic nonconformity and symbolic complexity. It displays geometric compositions through infusing curvilinear flowing elements with rectilinear forms. Glasgow designs are further characterized by symbolic imagery and stylized form. They incorporate simple lines which bring out its flat compositions of Colour. The Glasgow Four largely incorporated religious, spiritual, fantasy as well as mystical beliefs and ideals into their works. (mylms, 2021)
(wikipediacommons, 2008)
The above art piece from the Glasgow school movement is a piece(called A Pond) created by Frances Macdonald, one of the infamous Glasgow Four. The piece most noticeably has a symmetrical geometric composition. The background figures are geometrically circular having attachments that melodically flow in a curvilinear manner to the bottom of the centre of the piece whilst still maintaining their rectangular outline form. The two central figures are also depicted with curvilinear lines as their bodies and feet form a rectangular outline, furthermore this piece uses simple bold lines on its dull colour composition. The Glasgow School piece has a melodic flow to it as well as an abstract and mystical theme as the figures depicted in it are not realistic but rather symbolic highlighting spiritual and mystical ideals and beliefs.
(Dickieson, 2016)
The above piece is a Lord of the Rings cover poster. Much like the piece from the Glasgow school movement, the poster displays geometric composition and adheres to a basic rectangular outline. It has curvilinear lines which melodically flow throughout the poster, mirroring the Glasgow style characteristics of incorporating melodic curvilinear lines. The curvilinear lines are simple lines, yet they stand out against the dull Colour palette of the poster’s composition, which is a common style trait of Glasgow movement pieces. Furthermore, just like Glasgow movement pieces this poster uses a lot of symbolic imagery. As the above poster is a Lord of the Rings poster it incorporates fantasy and mystical ideals, thus furthermore highlighting how this piece embodies the Glasgow movement because (just like Glasgow pieces) this poster is conveying ideals of fantasy and mysticism.
Bibliography
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wikipediacommons, 2008. wikipediacommons. [Online]
Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frances_MacDonald_-_A_Pond_1894.jpg
[Accessed 01 September 2021].
Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frances_MacDonald_-_A_Pond_1894.jpg
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pinterest, n.d. pinterest. [Online]
Available at: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/376191375104738389/
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Available at: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/376191375104738389/
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Dickieson, B., 2016. apilgriminnarnia. [Online]
Available at: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2016/04/18/12-reasons/cover_design_for_lord-of-the-rings-banner-chinese/
Available at: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2016/04/18/12-reasons/cover_design_for_lord-of-the-rings-banner-chinese/
