Interwoven Connections Exhibition at Glasgow School of Art

I love the Glasgow School of Art's Mackintosh building. It is such a beautiful building which has been used and loved by generations of art students. Charles Rennie Mackintosh's style is now known all over the world, but there's nothing like a visit to the building to marvel over the beauty of his architecture and design, to remind yourself how great he was.

You don't have to be an art student to go into the building as they run regular tours as well as exhibitions. A couple of weeks ago I visited the Interwoven Connections exhibition which can be found upstairs in the building, in a beautiful light-filled space. The exhibition showcases the library and archive of Stoddard Templeton carpet designers and manufacturers. On display is a wealth of material which was used to inspire their own designers, plus examples of carpet design.

 

 In this photo display I spotted the distinctive artist and playwright John Byrne (i.e. former partner of Tilda Swinton). He's the one wearing a checked jacket. I've been lucky enough to meet him in recent years and can testify that, now over 70, he is still devastatingly charming and handsome.

I loved these abstracted floral designs

The exhibition really is a must for anyone interested in design or in Scotland's famous industries and businesses, which seem to be sadly disappearing. Stoddard Templeton was in existence from 1843 until 2005.

You can view a short film about the exhibition here:

Interwoven Connections: The Stoddard Templeton Design Studio and Design Library, 1843-2005
from The Glasgow School of Art on Vimeo.

I highly recommend visiting the show if you are in Glasgow. It runs until the 11th January 2014 (closed 24th December to 2nd January). The website can be found here.

K x

p.s Anyone who's been a student in Glasgow will likely have a made a trip to the former GSA student union over the road from the Mackintosh building, which was always much cooler than all other unions in the city. It has now been knocked down, along with the building beside it, to make way for this glass-fronted behemoth:

 View of the new building from the Mackintosh steps - RIP old union and all your drunken student memories (or lack of memories!)