The works of Pajos can be summarized as psychedelic shamanism. In Pajoss paintings, the scholastic thought and sensual reality are in complete harmony. The striking and stylish sequences of thought are being presented in allegory, leaving even the best experts of Gothic mysticism perplexed. Pajos is a phenomenon and there is point in connecting him to our surrealistic art. Yet, an original so-called Fenno-Ugric version of para-surrealism appears in his works where northern totem animals, sacrifice instruments and blood brotherhood are dominant. It is hard to resist noble savagery and there is no actual need for it. Pajoss forest is a spooky mixture of sensual beauty, dramatic cruelty and moral indifference. It resembles the Bali world of imagination where the moral status of the artist-genius is also being worried about. His works are also not short of satanistic cellar aesthetics and imaginary witch dance with grotesque figures whereas the moralism of the preachers is part of the spectacle of ritual scenes. Verdant meadows and romantic ruin complexes seduce the gullible spectator. This mixture of supreme artistry and cruelty would definitely have enraptured Baudelaire and probably Artaud as well. Pajoss picture unity is not joined by canonical scripture but by many deranging mystical and metaphysical situation bundles instead. Pajos has built a demonic world of his own. Pajos has obviously been influenced by the works of Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Eduard Wiiralt, there is also something in common with the pre-Raphaelite treatment of form, especially with the room image of Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Pajoss works have an effect that is similar to Goyas capriccios, they are an accusation of foolishness, reaction, cruelty and oppression. There are also contacts with the dreamlike imaginary world of poet and mystic William Blake. In Pajoss paintings we see images of Dantes Inferno in which, the subtle borderline between good and evil, sin and repentance, guilt and innocence is being balanced on.
The crisis of world understanding that exists in our society yearns for new stories, fairy tales and mystical pseudo-mythology, hobbits and elves. To create worlds exactly like this, we need artists like Priit Pajos.
Extract from Riina Kübarsepps article Pajos plays hide-and-seek with the gods Published in Estonian newspaper Sirp on 28 January 2005
