Biography (the themes)- Sanjay Sundram

A. The Themes

"Why is no one excited?-
I hear people talking in the supermarket about the end of the world, and they're no more excited than if they were comparing detergents. People talk about the destruction of the ozone layer and the death of all life. They talk about the devastation of the rain forest, about deadly pollution that will be with us for thousands and millions of years, about the disappearance of dozens of species everyday, about the end of speciation itself. And yet they seem perfectly calm.

"What have people been told that keeps them from being excited, that keeps them relatively calm when they view the catastrophic damage they are inflicting on this planet?

"An explaining story. They have been given an explanation of how things came to be this way and this stills their alarm. An explanation which covers everything, including the deterioration of the ozone layer, the destruction of the rain forests and even human extinction- and it satisfies them. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it pacifies them."


A. The Themes "Why is no one excited?- I hear people talking in the supermarket about the end of the world, and they're no more excited than if they were comparing detergents. People talk about the destruction of the ozone layer and the death of all life. They talk about the devastation of the rain forest, about deadly pollution that will be with us for thousands and millions of years, about the disappearance of dozens of species everyday, about the end of speciation itself. And yet they seem perfectly calm. "What have people been told that keeps them from being excited, that keeps them relatively calm when they view the catastrophic damage they are inflicting on this planet? "An explaining story. They have been given an explanation of how things came to be this way and this stills their alarm. An explanation which covers everything, including the deterioration of the ozone layer, the destruction of the rain forests and even human extinction- and it satisfies them. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it pacifies them."
-Daniel Quinn
My work tends to focus on the symbiotic relation between living forms, the evolution of Man and desire for material wealth, the rapid development of bigger and bigger cities, more and more people and the consequence this has on nature. I prefer to avoid a preachy tone, and instead look for the ironies and the little (but telling) incongruities that this brings in our lives... the 'explaining stories'. I don’t mind humour that’s black or a tongue that’s in cheek.
For my art I find inspiration in intensely urban areas. I find them full of delightful ironies and contrasts, full of everyday horrors and everyday magic. Animals compete with architecture to play a prominent role. Reviews of my work, have commented on the hallucinatory nature of my urban landscapes, and references to magical realism. I just paint what I see. Killing a cockroach in heroic poses- Fulfilling his divinely appointed role To rule and to multiply, 5,976,000,000 Endlessly. The protector of his family Putting food on the table. Fighting against fearful beasts And though the tigers are dead. And the snakes have gone, The struggle continues still. Be brave. Be proud. Killing a cockroach in heroic poses. Sharing a goat with household members.