Deciphering the code.

By Carmen Nge

Abstract expressionist paintings are notoriously difficult to decipher. Redolent with idiosyncratic references and cryptic symbolism, abstract art is rich fodder for the palette of a psychoanalyst because artists presumably unleash their suppressed unconscious when they create.

To the lay person, mathematical equations, perhaps, are not very different. Without prior knowledge and years of education, they too are impossibly enigmatic; their signs and symbols intimate a consciousness invisible to the ignorant.

As both artist and mathematician, Rajinder Singh attempts to fuse and infuse the two disciplines with remarkable results.

The drip art effect in Rajinder’s paintings is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s abstract masterpieces; physics professor, Richard Taylor, observes that Pollock’s drip patterns resemble fractals, the repetition of patterns (particularly those found in nature) at finer scales. The mathematical component is not always evident in Rajinder’s work but they are there, insinuated in titles such as Entanglement, Noble Polyhedra, Differential, Dimensions, to name a few. The vibrancy in his art, however, cannot be reduced to their mathematical derivations.

Recurring motifs in his paintings offer clues as to the artist’s preoccupations. Airplanes, air balloons and parachutes are highly visible in Rajinder’s work. The suggestion of mobility, flight and travel is, in all likelihood, synonymous with the artist’s itinerant life in the past few decades. Yet, the personal signification does not disavow a more contemporaneous, political reading.

Post-9/11, it is impossible to see airplanes and tall structures and not think of the World Trade Center; the blood red hues in Entanglement suggest the intensity of that historical moment and the lives lost. At the same time, the skeleton-like towers look curiously like oil rig structures; the black bags attached at their base suggest the ‘black gold’ in Iraq, so sought after by the Americans. Rule No. 2 lends credence to this interpretation, further cementing the connection between cars/trucks/vehicles and the petrol needed to power them.

In contrast to the global undercurrents in the previous two works, New Possibilities clearly references Singapore. The Esplanade’s ‘durian dome’ is unmistakable; the winding roads and intersecting lines are the meticulously planned transportation system of the island nation. Although not the most visually spectacular, New Possibilities nevertheless contains the most clearly marked reference points.

Murder Math, in contrast, is an arresting painting. The solid black swatches draw our attention to the contrasting white outline of adjoining houses and an intricate, ominously black-inked, blueprint of the interior. Is this the site of a past murder? Or could it be the plans for a potential one? Mathematics, in this instance, becomes a viable tool used in the interests of crime. Indeed, equations are never merely harmless numbers and innocuous signs.

Mathematical equations can also be sources of fun, as evident in Roller Coaster Dimensions, Candy Floss, and Dreamland. Circles and lines dominate in this set of paintings; Ferris wheels come to mind. The colours are bright pastels—pinks, blues, oranges, and greens—but they have a washed out, tired quality about them. Like a postmodern theme park, these paintings capture both the energy and aftermath of manmade fun. The riot of intermingling colours is its zenith and the drippy effect its nadir.

In this new exhibition, a distinct shift has occurred in Rajinder’s work. If before his lines were clean and his colours gloriously cheerful, now lines are both bold and faint; the colours are darker, muted, and seep into one another. The signs and symbols inscribe a complexity and an abstrusity that is heightened by the artist’s new landscape of abstraction. Yet, despite their esoteric nature, Rajinder’s paintings evince a visual maturity that compels and captivates.

Carmen Nge is a regular contributor to Off The Edge magazine, principally writing about visual arts and reviewing books. She obtained her doctorate in film and postcolonial literature from Brandeis University in the U.S. Carmen is also a full-time lecturer at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.