Peter Thompson is one of the most fascinating artists to emerge from the depths of London's art scene. Each of his 50 Dollar drawings comprise his trademark cartoonish lines which outline everything from retro hot rods to strange, ghost-like characters. The swervy lines almost fall off the page like a slinky down a set of stairs. I'm always dumbfounded by the bounty of imaginary characters Thompson draws but also by his unselfconscious, decontextualized social commentary. If it were not for the blunt, sometimes inviting, sometimes forbidding phrases-  like "don't worry, you won't get hurt",  taken sometimes from pop culture, sometimes from an unknown origin - the sheer schizophrenia of the various complex elements intermingling on a page might put people off the way highbrow art often does.

That's what's remarkable about his work: it's not pretentious. Besides the retro caricatures and obscure remarks, the lines of his drawings offer an inviting handle or grip for the viewer's eye. The cartoonish quality beckons people to explore the drawings as interconnecting lines, objects, or processes. Each line's lazy grace lets your attention slip in and out of the figure of your attention, from surreal constructs to palpable caricatures.

Pseudo Escher buildings made up of bloated faces, decorated with tobacco pipes, sprouting out of airplanes or random blocks are definitely some of his most interesting depictions. What's always a joy with Peter's work is the comfortable space, the ambiguity he gives you to explore what he's doing. I've seen surreal cartoons done by other artists but what Thompson accomplishes, including works like brain trust (a compilation of James Kirpatrick and Thompson's collaborations), defies my imagination. It's unpredictable, to say the least. I rarely expect two lines to meet the way they do in Peter's work.

Expect an interview with the mysterious fella to appear on LondonFuse sometime soon. For now check out/buy his work!