Indrapramit Roy

The switchover from printmaking to painting was an important decision for Indrapramit Roy, 'to be able to encompass a larger canvas of life where things happen simultaneously, like a change of scene, like a revolving stage enabling you to move from one space to another - both literally and metaphorically ----That has been one thing which has been a constant pursuit, the exploration of space.During his years as a student, this space was activated by the spatial and psychological relationships between the narrative elements which were a part of his vocabulary, parallel moments of inconsequence or drama born out of the harsh and complex realities of life on the streets and wastelands of large cities. The breakdown of the logic of these images into atmospheric masses of colour and texture happened during his years at the Royal College, involving, in addition, an ongoing dialogue between real and painted space -- in shifting edges which spilled over or fell short of the expected limit. Mixed media and collage were incorporated, reflecting a concern with surfaces which could be scored, rubbed, punctured or folded to involve a constant state of decision making, layering and change. Clarity occurred at random intervals in selected objects or symbols defined with specific relish, creating a set of clues which admitted a sparse readability. The paintings remained, however, 'repositories of memories, aspirations, dreams and desires' expressing a whole range of associative or opposing meanings.?Recently, he has returned to watercolours, imposing upon himself a discipline which demands accountability of every stroke of the brush, thereby minimizing chance happenings. With direct reference to the experience of fatherhood, there emerges a new landscape composed of the paraphernalia which surrounds a child. In successive paintings, these images are reduced to calligraphic bands of symbols which persist beyond the field of immediate perception, supportive strokes against which future vistas of experience come into being.