Renowned Kelpies’ sculptor Andy Scott has revealed his dream of creating a statue of Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh - the influential visual artist who worked closely with her husband Charles Rennie Mackintosh on many projects.
Scott shared the wish with Jackie Bird in the 100th episode of the National Trust for Scotland’s podcast, Love Scotland, released on Friday.
About the podcast, Jackie Bird said: “We are proud to have reached the 100th episode of our podcast Love Scotland. We’ve been joined by fantastic guests over the years from our charity’s own expert rangers, to best-selling authors and stars of stage and screen. They always have a great tale to share and help us uncover the amazing stories of Scotland and what it makes it so special.”
In the 100th episode, Scott, who is now based in the US, talks about his career creating pieces for communities in Scotland, and discusses one of his lesser-known works - a sculpture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh which is on the corner of Argyll Street and St Vincent Street in the Anderston area of Glasgow.
Scott recounts his lifelong connection with Mackintosh, which began as a child and was consolidated during his time at the Glasgow School of Art.
READ MORE: Civic placemaking all the way from Maryhill': Kelpies sculptor unveils latest work
Scott said how delighted he was to hear that the National Trust for Scotland had taken on the care of the Mackintosh at the Willow tearoom on Sauchiehall Street in addition to the conservation charity’s care of the Mackintosh-designed Hill House in Helensburgh.
The sculptor commented: “My big passion is to have Margaret commissioned…. Charles himself used to say that Margaret was the brains of the outfit.”
Scott remarked that this reminds him of his relationship with his own wife Hanneke.
He went on: “Theirs was a love story for the ages and yet she was sadly largely overlooked… so it’s always been in the back of my mind that Margaret really deserves some kind of sculptural tribute somewhere.
“However, I do realise that there is a tremendous financial implication in that and it requires a great deal of logistics, so I’ve got another couple of wee things up my sleeve that we might be able to pull off, related to Charles and Margaret, but it’s early days.”
One of the key figures in the emergence of the “Glasgow Style” of art, design and architecture in the 1890s along with Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh was one of the most gifted and successful women artists in Scotland at the turn of the century.
Despite collaborating on many projects with her husband, primarily via the production of panels for interiors and furniture – notably for the tea rooms and Hill House – Margaret’s contribution is often less acknowledged, and is often confined to the historic role of Rennie Mackintosh’s “talented other half”.
This, despite Charles Rennie Mackintosh famously admitting himself that he owed much of his own success to his wife’s influence, stating in a letter that: “You must remember that in all of my architectural efforts, you have been the half, if not three quarters, of them”.
In October 2022, Glasgow-based visual artist, illustrator and muralist Molly Hankinson issued a call for more recognition in Glasgow around Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh's work and legacy.
Ms Hankinson made the call after her mural of Mackintosh was unveiled in the city at Chivas’ Strathclyde Distillery in the Gorbals
She told The Herald at the time she chose to paint a mural of Mackintosh on the “shock” realization that one did not already exist in Glasgow.
Ms Hankinson said: “We were given a brief, but we were allowed to choose at the same time, we had to choose someone who meant a lot to us or the city. Chivas Regal’s motto is ‘I Rise, We Rise’ so they wanted us to choose someone who we thought embodied that spirit and that message, someone who has risen up against the odds or someone who deserves to be championed or celebrated within the city.
"Margaret was my choice basically. I obviously jumped at the opportunity to do that because she is such a great figure and such an important part of Glasgow’s history. It was a really good opportunity to do one and I hope I’ve done it justice. Hopefully it brings a bit more recognition around her work and her significance.”
Season 10 of the National Trust for Scotland podcast Love Scotland started on Friday, October 4, with a focus on Robert Burns and runs until December. Listen and subscribe on Apple & Spotify.
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