The Thousands

If you’ve ever seen the documentary American Pickers, where pawnshop workers drive around the US buying old crap from uncommitted hoarders, then you’ll know they especially covet old weather-beaten advertising boards that they can then flog to themed pubs. Christopher Nielsen’s illustrated paintings in his new show Slax Appeal look rather like that. Each one a spritely and barely faded cartoon character created to spruik a long-forgotten product. Hey look! A strawberry that’s somehow also an octopus! A tooth wearing a crown (in the regal sense, not the dental)! And Gene Simmons with the word ‘open’ drawn on his tongue! I wonder if it changes to ‘closed’ when he tucks it back in his mouth.