“PASS TO THE OTHERSIDE”

Visual Analysis & Composition: In “PASS TO THE OTHERSIDE“, the small scale of the canvas acts as a keyhole rather than a panorama. The viewer is forced to lean in, creating a private, almost secretive connection with the artwork. The composition is likely centred around a transition point—a gap in the heavy acrylic textures that reveals a softer, pastel-infused light beyond.

Roy uses the acrylics to build the “barrier” or the “hardside” of reality, likely using darker, denser colors that frame the edges. In the center, or perhaps drifting diagonally across, the pastel strokes take over. These marks are likely frantic yet faint, suggesting a dissolution of form. The interaction between the two mediums is physical: the acrylic provides a rugged topography, while the pastel sits on top like a mist or a spirit, creating a sense of vibration that suggests movement through a veil.

Historical Context of the Art Form: This piece belongs to the tradition of Intimist Abstraction, a style that values quiet, contemplative spaces over the loud, grand gestures of typical Action Painting. It echoes the works of artists like Mark Tobey or the smaller paper works of Willem de Kooning, where the focus is on the “inner world” rather than the outer landscape. The title suggests a metaphysical theme common in abstract art: the attempt to visualise death, transcendence, or the dream state—concepts that cannot be photographed, only felt.

The Story of “PASS TO THE OTHERSIDE”:

We spend our lives building walls, but we dream of the door. This painting is that door.

The story of this piece is set at the final frontier of consciousness. Imagine walking through a dense, dark forest where the trees are made of stone—this is represented by the heavy acrylic textures at the borders. Suddenly, the trees break. There is a clearing where the air shimmers, not with sunlight, but with a different kind of energy. The dusty, soft pastel strokes are the atmosphere of this “Otherside”—a place where gravity doesn’t apply. Debajyoti Roy captures the specific feeling of holding your breath before you step through. It is small because it is personal; it is a secret passage that only one person can enter at a time.