An analytical study to ascertain the influence of art movement of the 43 group on the work of Geoffrey Bawa

Abstract

To understand buildings and environments, we must first understand the society and culture in which they exist. The most famous and profound architectural trends from Renaissance architecture to the Bauhaus movement found root in fine art movements, which in turn were representative of the changing ideals and values in the societies and cultures in which they were birthed. This paper will look to establish the role of art in architecture and to what degree an eminent architect of the 20th century influenced and has embraced art in architecture. In doing so the research draws reference to the New Art Movements that emerged in the West in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and how it shaped the birth of the Modern Movement in architecture. It then shifts focus to the local context; Sri Lanka at the brink of independence, the oppression of colonial rule and subdued tradition, the emergence of a modern movement in Sri Lankan art through the 43 Group which was supported by a cohort of thinkers with a pro nationalistic outlook, and the subsequent emergence of a new architectural trend; tropical modernism through the work of Geoffrey Bawa. The work of both the 43 Group and Geoffrey Bawa have been studied to great extent individually yet not side by side. The research draws similarities between three recurring themes in the artist's work as identified through literature alongside three recurring architectural features in the architect's work identified through the case studies. It draws conclusion with expert opinions and thoughts from individuals who have either closely associated with Geoffrey Bawa and members of the 43 Group or those who have studied their work extensively.