“Narcissus” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters. All images © Max Naylor, shared with permission
Working in vivid washes of ink and oil paint, artist Max Naylor renders impressionistic dreamscapes that emerge from nostalgic recollections and imagined spaces. Focusing on natural textures like gilled mushrooms scaling a tree trunk or the soft ripples of water, Naylor creates what he calls a “parallel universe, a microcosm that is similar to our world but free from the shackles of reality.” The scenes often veer toward the unnatural, favoring otherworldly color palettes and unlikely lighting. “In these spaces, it can be night and day simultaneously,” he says. “You can stare up at the sky whilst noticing the plants flowering at your feet.”
The ethereal qualities of Naylor’s works echo his process, which involves letting the fluid materials dictate the contours of the compositions and allowing the landscapes to “well up from my subconscious and spill onto the surface…The works in ink are made quickly. At the same time, I’m working on larger oil paintings that take much longer. Working at these different tempos keeps things fresh and exciting for me, with the works in ink continually informing the works in oil.”
Based in Bristol, Naylor has a studio at Spike Island and currently teaches at London’s Royal Drawing School. You can find more of his landscapes on Instagram.
“Green Goddess” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
“Devil’s Cauldron” (2023), oil on linen, 115 x 105 centimeters
“Mountainside” (2022), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
“Phosphorescence” (2022), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
“Catkins and Crocuses” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
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