Lalitha Anantharaman’s works are sculptural explorations of the multifaceted nature of symbols. Material symbols often take basic, organic forms that invite both a direct experience with the viewer as well as philosophical interpretation. These philosophical and tactile qualities exist simultaneously, pulsating as particular aspects are brought to the fore, while others recede but maintain their presence. The sculptures of Anantharaman embody the mechanics of traditional symbolism; the physical forms convey a simple gestalt while her attention to surface, texture, and the inherent character of her materials render these basic shapes and volumes “palpably suggestive” and encourage a myriad of interpretations by the viewer. Additionally, Anantharaman appreciates the durable yet fragile quality character of bronze, which reflects her desire to capture the actual and the transient in and through her work. The concave triangular form of Anantharaman’s Prana 7, on view at Grounds For Sculpture, is both elemental and cryptic evoking references to the male torso, the womb, an enormous arrowhead, or a fossilized mussel shell, to name a few. The word “prana,” is the Hindu term used to describe the auto-energizing life-sustaining force of the individual body and the universe; prana is the source of all knowledge and the mover of all activity encompassing all types of energy, including mental, intellectual, physical, sexual, spiritual, heat, light, gravity etc. The simple, yet ambiguous shape of Prana 7, leaves the identity of the object open to interpretation. According to the artist, the position activates the sculpture. Located outdoors, Prana 7 often fills with rain water. This triangular rain catcher becomes a potent metaphor for one entity comprising another and the body as the receptacle of the material and the sublime. Lalitha Anantharaman grew up in the Tamil Nadu region of India. She traveled to the United States to pursue her MFA in sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD and later came to work at the Johnson Atelier in Hamilton, New Jersey. She currently resides in India and has received numerous awards and honors for sculpture in both her native country and the United States which include the Rinehart Award from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD; Tamil Nadu State Art Organization Award, Madras, India; Works-in-Progress grant, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions on three continents, a selection of which includes the Stratamon Group Exhibition in Brugge, Belgium; Rinehart Hundred: The Contemporary Years, Baltimore, MD; a solo exhibition at the Johnson Atelier, Hamilton, NJ; The South of the World – The Other Contemporary Art, organized by the Ente Mostra Nazionale di Pittura in Marsala, Italy; a group exhibit of the work of contemporary female Indian artists sponsored by the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India among many others. Her work is represented in various public and private collections such as the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida; Alliance Francais, Bangalore, India; Madras Museum, Madras, India; the Central Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India; and the Regional Lalit Kala Academy, Madras, India. Works by Lalitha Anantharaman currently on view in the sculpture park: Prana 7, 1992
cast bronze
6" x 53" x 31"
Courtesy of The Sculpture Foundation, Inc.
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