Some Like It Hot (Burning Desire), 200323.5 x 23.5cm (9.3 x 9.3in)
Poster colour, gouache and gold dust on mount board
Rabindra KD Kaur Singh
This painting is one in a set of eight works called the Art of Loving Series
INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF LOVING:RAGAMALA SERIES
‘Ragamalas’ or ‘Garlands of Music’ are a tradition of miniature painting that grew up in 17th century India and sought to give visual expression to the many moods and emotions created by the system of different melodies (Ragas) found within classical Indian music. These paintings drew upon the rich symbolic imagery contained in poetic verses written a millennium ago, thus bringing together poetry, art and music in a unique relationship. Each Raga was personified, or represented in human form, and the feeling it evoked depicted as distinct modes of human emotion and experience in which the relationship between two lovers was a favourite theme. The mood and character of each Raga was also associated with specific colours, the seasons and the time of day - all of which became important compositional considerations for creating the desired atmosphere and sentiment. In a context where classical Indian music was regarded as a tangible vehicle for spiritual experience and communication, the material relationships depicted in Ragamala paintings were often analogies for the spiritual relationship between the soul and God.
The Art of Loving presents a series not only continues the Ragamala tradition but reinterprets it within a secular, contemporary context. Seeking to highlight the connection between poetry, visual art and music and, also, to draw parallels between East and West, each work in the series adopts the title of a song from the canon of modern western popular music whose theme, melody, and lyrics reflect the key sentiments and mood expressed by the painting.
‘Some Like It Hot’ offers a contemporary interpretation of Ragas Bavari and Kamodi - two melodies which express the emotion of burning passion and desire.
Traditionally, these are ‘usually visualised as a girl with her hands joined over her head (karkata hasta)’, whilst an attendant tries to offer relief from the unbearable heat of the summer season (symbolising the girl’s mood) either by fanning, or applying henna with its cooling properties, to her feet (see below).
This painting was inspired, however, by the alternative representation of a specific 17th century miniature (below, left). Transporting the heroine into a 21st century setting it reinterprets the age old sentiment of the original Raga within the modern context of the movie fan who is ‘in love’ with her screen idol. Hence, the focus of the work is a young woman reclining on her bed, her head thrown back in blissful, romantic, contemplation as she gazes up at a poster of the movie star and object of her desire, Mel Gibson. The depth of her infatuation is emphasised by the fact that his image can also be seen (in his role as William Wallace) in a small frame on the bedside dresser, as well as on the front cover of the film magazine which drops from her hand as thoughts of romance wander away with her.
Continuing the symbolic use of colour in traditional Ragamala paintings, reds and oranges, representing love and passion, dominate the palette. Similarly, the burning desire that consumes the young woman is likened to the scorching heat of an ‘Indian summer’ which is conveyed through the glowing saffron and warm orange of the background with its cloudless, hazy sky line. Meanwhile, the modern symbols of an electric fan and a container of ice cubes replace the old symbols of the hand fan and henna and further help to convey the mood.
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