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Description
Lionel Wendt (1900-1944), a barrister by profession, was a pianist who played Bach, Bartok and Jazz and a photographer whose work was exhibited in 1938 in London by the makers of Leica cameras, a rare distinction accorded to few. Yet, he was much more than a brilliant artist. Widely read and having being exposed to the arts of the West, he shared his enormous knowledge with all he came into contact with, not so much as a teacher but as a mentor who strongly advocated the shedding of fixed ideas and the facades of the colonial mentality, and of looking at indigenous culture, not only of Sri Lanka but also of the east and the modern, breakaway trends of the west, and encouraged art that was born of one’s individualistic creativity rather than notions and norms. Within a short span of twenty years, he changed the course of the art and architecture, music and drama in this country. He is “The Father” of modern and contemporary art in Sri Lanka.

Born in Colombo on December 3, 1900, and educated at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, he later read law at the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar. While in London he also studied at the Royal Academy of Music. On returning to Ceylon in 1924 he practiced law for a short time, but soon devoted himself to his enormous talents: as a musician till the early 1930s and then turned to what was to became his true obsessive métier, photography. His reputation was such that when Basil Wright was commissioned to make the famous film, Song of Ceylon, Wendt was asked to assist him. The film received the 1st prize at the Brussels International Film Festival, 1935, and Wright readily admits that the film’s great success was largely due to Wendt who also did the narration for the film.

Exposed as he was to the arts of the world, Wendt rebelled against the traditional art scene of Colombo which was rooted in colonialism, and forged a new thinking, a thinking that was indigenous to this country and exclusively individualist, without sticking to norms of any sort, other than quality and perfection. He played music that had never been heard within these shores and his photographs – masterpieces of his eye and his experimental skills in the darkroom, were far ahead of his time. He encouraged and supported the arts and artists. His was instrumental in setting up a school of Kandyan Dance and the ’43 Group, a group of artists whose paintings were modern, contemporary and Sri Lankan in their outlook and who painted according to their inner vision. He was also a virulent critique who wrote disparagingly of the arts scene of the 1920s and 1930s and passionately supported art that was true to one’s inner self.

His pioneering photo-imagery inspired a countless number of people over the years and his influence can be seen in the work of artists and architects, including that of artist Ivan Peiris and architect Minette de Silva.

Description
Lionel Wendt (1900-1944), a barrister by profession, was a pianist who played Bach, Bartok and Jazz and a photographer whose work was exhibited in 1938 in London by the makers of Leica cameras, a rare distinction accorded to few. Yet, he was much more than a brilliant artist. Widely read and having being exposed to the arts of the West, he shared his enormous knowledge with all he came into contact with, not so much as a teacher but as a mentor who strongly advocated the shedding of fixed ideas and the facades of the colonial mentality, and of looking at indigenous culture, not only of Sri Lanka but also of the east and the modern, breakaway trends of the west, and encouraged art that was born of one’s individualistic creativity rather than notions and norms. Within a short span of twenty years, he changed the course of the art and architecture, music and drama in this country. He is “The Father” of modern and contemporary art in Sri Lanka.

Born in Colombo on December 3, 1900, and educated at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, he later read law at the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar. While in London he also studied at the Royal Academy of Music. On returning to Ceylon in 1924 he practiced law for a short time, but soon devoted himself to his enormous talents: as a musician till the early 1930s and then turned to what was to became his true obsessive métier, photography. His reputation was such that when Basil Wright was commissioned to make the famous film, Song of Ceylon, Wendt was asked to assist him. The film received the 1st prize at the Brussels International Film Festival, 1935, and Wright readily admits that the film’s great success was largely due to Wendt who also did the narration for the film.

Exposed as he was to the arts of the world, Wendt rebelled against the traditional art scene of Colombo which was rooted in colonialism, and forged a new thinking, a thinking that was indigenous to this country and exclusively individualist, without sticking to norms of any sort, other than quality and perfection. He played music that had never been heard within these shores and his photographs – masterpieces of his eye and his experimental skills in the darkroom, were far ahead of his time. He encouraged and supported the arts and artists. His was instrumental in setting up a school of Kandyan Dance and the ’43 Group, a group of artists whose paintings were modern, contemporary and Sri Lankan in their outlook and who painted according to their inner vision. He was also a virulent critique who wrote disparagingly of the arts scene of the 1920s and 1930s and passionately supported art that was true to one’s inner self.

His pioneering photo-imagery inspired a countless number of people over the years and his influence can be seen in the work of artists and architects, including that of artist Ivan Peiris and architect Minette de Silva.