Visitors to the Gitte Weise Gallery could be forgiven for believing that Aboriginal art is on display. Strange multicoloured poles up to two metres high sway gently in the afternoon breeze, captivating viewers with an enigmatic charm. Contrary to appearances, these are not Ramingining burial poles from north-eastern Arnhem Land but the latest incarnation of the work of Paul Saint.
Saint's sculptures have always been mysterious and beautiful. Dysfunctional objects characterised by a kind of sensory intelligence, his delicate hand-made pottery and elaborate cane-baskets rely heavily on what could be and have been described as craft-based practices. Yet such quibbling about categories misses the point of his work, ignoring its powerful aesthetic dimension and raw imaginative qualities. Take, for example, early works such as Catachrestic Basket (1993) or Inappropriate (1994) which offer far more than a re-evaluation of basket weaving. A slightly bent but alert cane sculpture, Inappropriate teases the viewer with its pale fleshy surface and phallic hardness. There is also something enticing about the cool symmetry of this work that makes you want to reach out and touch it.
Saint's current work is slightly dirtier but more conceptual in intent. Jihad (recycled) (1997) consists of a series of irregular pole structures made from the pages of comic books collected by the artist over many years. These are then sprayed with enamel paint to create a dense and elaborate visual surface. Inside each of the poles Saint has built a platform which is then covered with hundreds of small pieces of cut-up comic books. Ramingining poles are traditionally used to store the bones of ancestors in a ritual of powerful cultural significance. Saint's poles, in contrast, function as a