Three brightly-colored sculptures recently placed at McLane Park represent the body in motion, according to the artist who created them, Sukanya Mani.
Mani calls her creations "Micro and Macro." The St. Louis-based artist said the silhouettes reflect her combined passion for science, anthropology and philosophy.
"I hope the viewer gets a sense of our daily lives being engineered by invisible forces and energies," she explained.
Mani's paintings will remain on display for two years as part of the city's participation in the Sculpture on the Move Program, which launched in 2017.
Based in Manchester, Mo., SotM connects communities with art and has participants spanning the state, from Jefferson City to Poplar Bluff.
When the two-year term expires, "Micro and Macro" will rotate to a different park within the SotM network, and Poplar Bluff will receive a fresh piece for the community to experience.
Clark Allen, director of the Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation Department, said participation in the SotM program allows high quality, original artwork to be installed within the community and enhances public spaces with minimal cost and a short-term commitment.
"Locating art in parks provides another venue for our park users to enjoy their leisure pursuits," Allen said.
"The presence of art in parks will hopefully bring people to parks who wouldn't normally visit, and connect people to art who may not have easy access to art," Allen added. "Art in a park environment is extremely accessible, free and without any pretense or barriers."
According to Recreation and Arts Specialist with Manchester Arts, Kat Douglas, to participate in the program, cities must agree to the SotM memorandum, are required to pour a 4-by-4-foot concrete slab, pay a $50 participation fee, purchase a small $45 plaque, and pay a $500 yearly loan per sculpture.
Douglas said SotM includes artists from across the nation, including North Dakota, North Carolina, as well as many Missouri locals. A founding member of the Creative Communities Alliance, sponsor of SotM, she said the organization's goal is to remove barriers for cities wanting to add public art displays.
"There are so many things in a city that can be improved with a little art," she said. "Art is an expression of who we are. It's intrinsic of our values, of our dreams. If you were to take all art from our lives, you would notice."
Mani's silhouettes reflect bodies frozen in various forms of movement and are "meant to be viewed from front and back, far away and up close." The smooth surfaces are decorated with detailed patterns of dots, which Mani said is a nod to her home country and to the Indian art form, Gond.
Allen said he feels Micro and Macro's theme ties well with its current location. In 2019, he added, additional pieces of art will be placed in another city park, also through SotM.