Page 89 - Present-Future-September-2023

Lot No. 66

SURENDRAN NAIR
b. 1956

TEPORALITY: STUDY FOR AN EPIC SCALE INSTALLATION
OF 330 MILLION CLOUD FORMS (OF VARIABLE SIZE),
ON POLES (OF VARIABLE LENGTH), MOTORIZED FOR
ANIMATION, ON A STRETCH OF 786 SQ. MILES OF
BARREN PLAIN, ON AN APRIL DAY, WHEN THE SKY IS
CLEAR, BETWEEN 11 A.M. AND 3 P.M. ANNUS MIRABILIS.
CUCKOONEBULOPOLIS
71 x 47.5 in (180 x 120.6 cm)
Oil on canvas
2000
` 15,00,000 – 20,00,000 | $ 18,750 - 25,000

Signed & Dated: Verso

Published: ‘Itinerant Mythologies: Surendran Nair’ by
Sakshi Gallery, 2006, pg 88.

In a unique synthesis of classical and contemporary, artist
Surendran Nair blends modern imagery with iconography
from Indian and Greek art and mythology in his paintings
that blur lines between reality and imagination. Often
revolving around distinct protagonists, his vibrant and
visually charged canvases are rich with metaphors,
providing a fertile platform for dialogues on various
subjects. These dream-like scenes are tempered with
touches of absurdity and playful humour. Accompanied by
elaborate titles, his paintings offer both visual and verbal
cues, enhancing the viewer’s understanding.
The presented lot belongs to a significant body of work
known as the ‘Cuckoonebulopolis’ series, which the artist
began in the year 2000. The name draws inspiration from a
utopian realm, ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land,’ conceptualised by the
ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes in his satirical play
‘Birds.’ Within the play’s narrative, a man convinces a bird
to establish a new city amidst the clouds, giving rise to the
Cloud Cuckoo Land.

Born in 1956 in Onakkoor, Kerala, Surendran Nair attended
the College of Fine Arts, Trivandrum, in 1982. He then also Cover of the publication with the artwork.
studied printmaking at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja
Sayajirao University of Baroda, and started his career with
pen and ink drawings, etchings, and lithographs inspired
by personal memories and immediate surroundings.
His repertoire also included portraits capturing literary
luminaries. The late 1970s and early 1980s witnessed the
artist’s engagement with Marxist ideologies, influencing
his preferences in literature, cinema, and art. The allure of
transformation and fluidity, often seen on theatrical stages,
has also been a fascination for the artist. Though often
labelled as Surrealism, Surendran Nair’s artistic approach
resists simple categorization.