This yr’s Visitor Judging Panel consists of six thrilling names from the artwork world of right this moment, every of whom shall be tasked with choosing one favorite from the longlist to win their Decide’s Alternative Award.
Ten years on from profitable the primary Jackson’s Artwork Prize in 2016, Max Naylor joined us within the Jackson’s studio to speak about having a creative apply break up throughout two mediums, how being a dad or mum focuses your work ethic, and his love of Nick Cave.
Interview
Josephine: Inform us about your background. Did you get into artwork from an early age?
Max: I’ve at all times been a painter and a drawer since I used to be a really small youngster. I grew up in an arty family. My mother and father met at artwork faculty, and they’re each artists of their very own proper and artwork academics. I used to be fortunate sufficient to have a great deal of supplies round the home and I’ve been inspired to only sort of play and experiment since I used to be two years previous, so it’s at all times been one thing I’ve been obsessive about.
Foundling, 2025
Max Naylor
Ointment on linen, 100 x 130 cm | 39.3 x 51.1 in
Josephine: You studied at Brighton College and the Royal Drawing College. What sorts of concepts have been you exploring in your work presently?
Max: I did my diploma at Brighton College again within the late 90s, early noughties. I really studied sculpture. Again then, conceptual artwork was the style of the day, so Marcel Duchamp was the hero of the artwork faculty, so we have been utilizing ready-made objects from the world, placing them into the gallery context, and taking part in round with set up, video, and efficiency artwork. There wasn’t loads of precise making – plenty of considering happening. It was actually enjoyable, it was actually attention-grabbing, however as soon as I left artwork faculty, that sort of stuff didn’t appear to have a lot of a bearing on the fact of life, so throughout my 20s I travelled, labored, did a yr in Berlin, and all that point I used to be simply creating my drawing apply. About ten years later, in 2011, I bought a spot on the Royal Drawing College on their postgraduate course, and from then on I began to develop my ink on paper apply, and I may actually develop my drawing into portray. I really feel like ink is a very good bridge between the 2 disciplines, in order that’s the place I began utilizing ink as considered one of my essential mediums.
A view of Max’s studio
Josephine: Are you able to inform us a couple of profession spotlight or a memorable second you’ve had as an artist?
Max: Essentially the most thrilling factor is at all times the subsequent portray – I’m actually at all times excited in regards to the subsequent factor that’s taking place. There was a spotlight of word from earlier this yr, really. I had my first worldwide solo present in Cyprus – the gallery who put the present on had purchased your entire present beforehand, so I had no worries about promoting. I simply bought to go there and revel in it and have a little bit of a vacation. I’ve bought to say, that was my most favorite occasion from my profession up to now.
Biophillia, exhibition shot, Cyprus
Josephine: Your work depicts dreamlike landscapes, superbly rendered in ink or oil paint. Inform us about your relationship to artwork supplies, and once you select one over one other.
Max: I’ve type of break up my apply into two elements at the moment. I’m persevering with to develop my ink work on paper and that’s one thing that’s accomplished actually fast, perhaps in a single or two periods. I don’t plan these, so I simply dive straight in with the ink and, it’s sort of like elaborate doodles, desirous about sort of some botanical buildings. I type of construct a picture area, a panorama from recollections and from distant recollections, additionally locations I might need been to actually not too long ago. So it is a mixture of blending of images – I’ll typically choose and select issues from earlier work and be selective in regards to the bits that labored and the bits that didn’t, and sort of try to reorganize them so that every time it’s evolving.
After which there’s the oil work, which take for much longer, however they’re greater and so they’re slower paced, clearly. So yeah, it’s good to have these two tempos happening within the studio. If I’m getting slowed down in an enormous oil portray that’s taking me weeks to make, I’d put that apart for per week and make a few of these works on paper, to generate extra concepts and freshen issues up. I like the 2 totally different practices as a result of I’m actually into the textures and floor of the oil paint, however I like the danger taking that’s concerned within the works on paper. There’s a component of threat concerned, however there’s additionally a excessive reward the place you discover a new combination of images that’s working and you’ll hold creating it, after which maybe flip it into an oil portray. The 2 are informing one another.
Outcrops in Heather, 2025
Max Naylor
Ink on paper, 51 x 66 cm | 20 x 25.9 in
Josephine: How a lot of your work makes use of real-life references vs imagined conditions? How, if in any respect, has this steadiness shifted over time?
Max: I exploit botanical reference in my work, so I’ll be out within the panorama and I’ll take some photographs of explicit crops that I’m fascinated with depicting. Then I’ll convey them again to the studio, perhaps make a really unfastened sketch after which by that sort of repetitive strategy of drawing them many times, I’ll etch them into my reminiscence financial institution in order that then I can entry them, and they are often fed into the work. I feel my work seems to be acquainted, but typically it has this unique or otherworldly flavour to it. I don’t invent the crops – I like them, I like there to be some sort of familiarity in direction of them – however the areas themselves are purely fictional.
Balancing Act, 2025
Max Naylor
Ink on paper, 51 x 66 cm | 20 x 25.9 in
Josephine: What’s a typical working day within the studio, and the way do you get into the best mindset earlier than working?
Max: In the mean time, a typical working day within the studio is an early begin. My companion can also be an artist and we’ve bought a two yr previous son, so we’re actually feeling that point strain in the intervening time. So for me it’s into the studio, stand at a portray for 5 hours after which rush residence to do some childcare. I really assume being a dad or mum actually focuses your work ethic.
So yeah, by way of sort of how I’d put together for a studio session, it’s actually nearly getting began and going for it. Simply being within the studio is an absolute deal with. By way of listening to music or audio books, all of it relies upon what a part of the portray I’m doing, really. There’s some essential bits of work the place I can’t actually have something on within the background or if I do, I gained’t be taking any discover of it. However there’s typically sections of a picture the place the choice making course of isn’t fairly as acute. So yeah, I’ll take heed to music or podcasts often, particularly on a Friday. May need a little bit of a music day.
Some evenings I train for the Royal Drawing College on Zoom and it’s a very nice approach of sort of connecting with, perhaps 18 folks from internationally who all have a ardour for drawing. I discover that feeds into my work, as properly – it helps me to consider my very own work, which is very nice.
Max’s studio
Josephine: Are there any particular methods or phrases of knowledge that provide help to create your work that you’d be completely happy to share with us?
Max: I feel it may be fairly dangerous protecting actually ornate, overdeveloped sketchbooks. I feel that your sketchbook needs to be a very unfastened, nearly note-taking kind, as a result of I feel some folks nearly fetishise their sketchbook and so they are likely to hold all of the playful, artistic, ingenious work in there, after which once they try to scale it as much as an enormous portray, it doesn’t fairly work, the portray feels sort of lifeless. So I’d encourage folks to try to discover that playful, artistic area that they’ve of their sketchbook, and one way or the other get that onto the canvas or the paper in order that we are able to see that bit; we are able to see how the thoughts of the maker is working.
Lozenge, 2025
Max Naylor
Oil on linen, 100 x 130 cm | 39.3 x 51.1 in
Josephine: What’s your favorite guide/movie/band? Or What are you at the moment studying/watching/listening to?
Max: My favorite musician is Nick Cave, I feel he’s unimaginable. I noticed him stay for the primary time this yr, and it was nearly like a sort of spiritual expertise. It was wonderful. I really like how he talks about his artistic course of as properly. He talks about it simply being a 9 to five. He goes to his workplace and writes songs on this workmanlike approach, and one way or the other they’re reworked into these unimaginable, stunning, artistic artistic endeavors.
Works within the studio
Josephine: What exhibitions or artists have impressed you during the last yr?
Max: I not too long ago went to Venice for the primary time and spent a while within the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery. I simply bought to face in entrance of a few mid-career Kandinsky’s, simply when he began to turn into an summary painter. That was very nice simply to be in entrance of these work for half an hour. It was undoubtedly a spotlight.
Somebody who grew up in Russia requested me if I knew an artist referred to as Ivan Bilibin not too long ago, and I hadn’t heard of them, so I appeared into him and he’s this excellent youngsters’s illustrator, sort of folklore illustrator that every one Russian children grew up with. And this work is artwork nouveau somewhat bit, like influenced by Japanese wooden blocks. And yeah, it was very nice to see work that was acquainted to me, or much like my work, however I hadn’t actually ever discovered about him earlier than. So, exploring his work was actually, actually attention-grabbing.
Changeling, 2025
Max Naylor
Oil on linen, 100 x 130 cm | 39.3 x 51.1 in
Josephine: How necessary or useful do you assume awards and competitions are to artists right this moment?
Max: I feel profitable an award is usually a actually good shot within the arm. , it may well come at a time – it definitely did for me, profitable the Jackson’s Award – it got here at a time once I was nonetheless working part-time to make ends meet. It simply typically offers you that exterior validation that’s simply very nice, sort of little bit of a lift. Typically as artists we’re sort of counting on our personal self-belief. It does depend on a little bit of luck, you already know, you may win an award and nothing occurs in any respect. You simply pat your self on the again after which sort of stick with it. However, you may win an award and a gallery that you simply like may see it and sort of begin to take curiosity in your work. The monetary reward will be nice too, it may well get you to proceed together with your apply.
Gorge, 2016
Max Naylor
Ink on Paper, 66 x 101cm
1st Prize, Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2016
Josephine: What led you to coming into Jackson’s Artwork Prize in 2016? Did you ever assume you’ll win?
Max: I feel at the moment in my profession I used to be I used to be coming into fairly a couple of competitions. Did I feel I’d win? Presumably not, however I knew that the portray I’d submitted I used to be actually proud of. So I assumed it maybe may stand an excellent probability.
Josephine: How do you are feeling about choosing the winner of your personal Judges’ Alternative Award, and what are you going to be on the lookout for within the submissions?
Max: I feel I’m going to enter it with a very open thoughts. I don’t assume I’ll be on the lookout for any explicit material essentially. I assume I’ll be on the lookout for one thing that’s sort of uncommon, and perhaps a very attention-grabbing use of supplies, with an authenticity about it. I like work which are fairly trustworthy, and you’ll see how they have been made otherwise you’re interested in who made them.
Ascension, 2025
Max Naylor
Ink on paper, 51 x 66 cm | 20 x 25.9 in
Josephine: What recommendation would you give to artists who’re desirous about coming into Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2026?
Max: The recommendation I’d give to anybody coming into the prize can be maybe don’t try to do something significantly new or totally different to your regular apply. I’d maybe choose one of many strongest photos you could have, that sums up who you’re and what you do. And perhaps that’s the most effective picture to place into the competition, I’d say.
About Max Naylor
Max Naylor is an expert artist dwelling in Bristol, UK, the place he’s a studio holder at Spike Island. Alongside facet his personal high-quality artwork apply Max is a tutor on the Royal Drawing College in London. Max has accomplished numerous worldwide residencies together with time spent in Los Angeles and Delhi. He has gained the Discerning Eye Drawing Bursary and Jacksons Artwork Prize in 2016. He has exhibited broadly within the UK and has his work in personal collections all through the world.
Watch our interview with Max Naylor on Instagram
Visitor Judges
Deborah Smith: Curator, Former Director at Arts Council Assortment
Caroline Walker: Artist, MA RCA, public collections embrace Tate and Nationwide Galleries of Scotland
Faye Wei Wei: Painter, featured in British Vogue’s ‘One to Watch’, exhibited internationally
Brogan Bertie: Winner of Sky Portrait Artist of the Yr 2024
Max Naylor: Tutor at Royal Drawing College, first ever winner of Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2016
Eleanor Johnson: Painter, winner of Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025, exploring fable and the human kind
Additional Studying
Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2026: Open for Submissions
A Step-by-Step Information to Submitting Your Paintings to Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2026
Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025 Finalists Exhibition at Bankside Gallery
How We Collaborate With Artists
Go to Jackson’s Artwork Prize web site
