Ananthaiah's passion for nature
Ananthaiah's passion for nature is his signature. For almost two decades his artistic journey of portraying nature has not diluted. In fact, his works are like a series of old memories which unfold a sense of unconditional love lor his subject.
The continuum of nature in Ananthaiah's works -be it graphics or paintings -they narrate a very secure sense of belonging. The remote charm of the wilderness seems to mock the existential angst of human existence. For the portrayal here is not merely an exercise to conjure peaceful and uncontroversial subjects but the works are an expression of an internalization of one's milieu which finds a special way of looking at what one has absorbed. In the artist's own words: "In nature I am at peace. When my ink touches paper. I am instantly in commune with the elements". The subtle metamorphosis of nature is only possible to gauge if there is also a metamorphosis happening with in Ananthaiah. If Ananthaiah is transformed into a bird, a woman, a twig, a leaf or a rock then his soul is enriched.
The entire exercise of drawing and discovering textural possibilities is a grand spiritual recap for the artist. And such results naturally pervade the sensibilities of his spectators. His focused eye, skilled hands and technical experience of the media applied brings out an inner depth of a balanced existence. Says the artist: "When I am etching or painting I am simultaneously meditating upon my experiences. Even when I am involved in the practicalities of decision making and execution I am guided by the serenity within myself."
The serenity takes a very interesting form in Ananthaiah's works. The economy of color or the sepia implications supports the artist to maintain a balance of feeling in his entire creative space. In fact, it becomes a binder which links various fragments of forms in simple yet evocative shades of color. Indeed, nature is replete with color. Our own dependence is a pointer to its rich pigmentation. But when the artist resists indulging in its grandeur it signifies a creative purpose. "When I think of color, a single shade which comes for my aesthetic assistance, spreads like a fragrance on my entire landscape", says Ananthaiah.
Ananthaiah's romance with nature maintained its merit for years now and there is no doubt that this sincerity of emotion and execution will remain as steady as the sky above and earth below us.
Atiya Amjad
Art writer, curator
D. Ananthaiah
A graphic artist and a painter
explains his awe for nature in the above fashion. Resplendent with nature's stark beauty, his works always include in their frames a man who possesses an uncanny understanding of mother earth's elements and a bird that symbolises the artist's perceptions. He believes that the beauty of the natural world is entirely responsible for his creativity.