Fast-Rising British Artist Danny Fox on the Five Artists Inspiring Him Right Now

Danny Fox is among the most in-demand young British artists working today. He is known for his vibrant, expressive canvases that capture the human condition in all its complexity. Steeped in art historical influence, his paintings often feature figures depicted in surreal and unexpected scenarios, and explore themes of sexuality, violence, and death. Fox’s work is often described as raw, honest, and irreverent, and has earned him a loyal following among collectors and critics alike.

Now in his mid-thirties, Fox has been exhibiting internationally for more than a decade; most recently, he held a solo presentation with V1, titled “Avalanche Index,” at CHART art fair in August. He is currently represented by Saatchi Yates in London and V1 Gallery in Copenhagen; and his work is currently on view at the Yuz Museum as part of the group show “Next Door,” which runs through October 7th.

Fox is currently in the studio making new work, including ceramics and sculpture for three as-yet-unannounced shows that he has coming up. “I’m just working but haven’t reached the point of knowing what will go where yet,” he told Artsy. “I read something the other day that resonated: in a letter to a friend, Matisse described himself as ‘exhausted from experimentation.’ I don’t mean to compare myself to an artist of that caliber, but the last year has been very experimental and tiring in the studio and it feels restorative to work from some older somewhat familiar material.”

As he prepares his next body of work, Artsy asked Fox to share five artists who are inspiring him now.

Tal R

B. 1967, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Lives and works in Copenhagen.

“Whilst I was in Copenhagen, Tal R had a new exhibition opening. As I walked around the show, my girlfriend, who is not familiar with Tal’s work, asked me what I thought. I explained to her—which I struggled to do—that it didn’t really matter what I thought at that moment but that I trusted Tal. I know that at the point of completion, he would have sat with [the works] until, ultimately, he concluded they were worthy and hit a certain mark for him.

“The next day I saw the show again and found things that I couldn’t see the day before. It’s the same thing with all great art. Although the style or subject matter may vary, there is a distinctive foundation of quality that could only come from that artist. Tal’s range is very wide. You never really know what you will get from him but you do know it will be strong. I admire his ability to move between genres so effortlessly.

“Take Tal’s painting The Shower (2014). Look at the way the water hits the body and the way it seems to run off the tiles through the hot steam. Some people may see an inviting proposal or a voyeuristic encounter, but I see a more banal scenario. I often stand in the doorway of the bathroom while my girlfriend is in the shower, just talking over the day’s matters. It’s a moment where no one else can be there, so you can talk in private. Perhaps [in this work, Tal is] just apologizing for something trivial. The doorway of the bathroom seems a suitable place to say sorry. I enjoy this painting very much.”

Rose Wylie

B. 1934, Kent, England. Lives and works in Kent.

“Rose Wylie has been a great inspiration to me for many years. Sometimes, the thing that brings an artist’s work to one’s attention is ultimately of no relevance at all. I remember I was buying paints in Atlantis Art Shop in London when I saw a poster with Rose’s painting Arab and dancing girl (2006) pinned to a notice board. Painted along the bottom was a mosaic tile pattern which was close to something I had been working on. It’s a strange thing when this happens to an artist. There you are going about your business, believing you’re being original and suddenly, you see the very thing you’ve been thinking of, and someone else has done it before you—and in this case, much better. It can be a deflating moment if you let it be. You have to walk away from it and start again.

“Then, I looked deeper into Rose’s work. I discovered that she was in her eighties and had been making work in this style alongside her late husband Roy Oxlade since before my mother was born. This fact came as a big comfort. I immersed myself in Rose’s universe of wartime Britain, doll-like figures, and filmic references.

“Pink Table Cloth (Longshot) (2013) and Pink Table Cloth (Closeup) (2013) are wonderful examples of Rose’s ‘film notes’ paintings. For me, Rose Wylie is one of the greatest living British artists. There has to be sorrow in the joy, a joke in the tragedy, and a story in the nonsense. With Rose, you get all of that and more. You get heroic resilience and carefree hysteria. You get old and you get young and the best is yet to come.”

Wes Lang

B. 1972, Chatham, New Jersey. Lives and works in Los Angeles.

“I met Wes Lang seven or eight years ago in Los Angeles. With no other artist do I have a more consistent correspondence. Almost daily, we share images of works in progress from the studio as they are made. Sometimes, I’ll come in from the studio, sit down to dinner and he’ll send me something new, and I’ll have to get up and go straight back. It’s not a competition, it’s just a reminder that he’s out there working harder than you and that you better get back to it.

“I first saw Wes’s work in a magazine in London probably 15 years ago. He was making pencil drawings and collages inspired by his days sweeping a tattoo shop in New Jersey and riding motorcycles across the country. He projected a broken but proud history of the U.S.A.; so honest, so American. One painting I have a particular fondness for is The Crossing (2010). He said he made it while listening to Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same title. If you think of McCarthy’s America, you’ll be in a good place to start understanding the landscape in which Wes’s scene is set.

“It’s been fascinating to see his work evolve month to month. Eras and influence come and go but the voice remains. Most of all, Wes has created his own world that has its own feeling. It’s exciting to see him now making the best paintings he’s ever made.”

Lynette Yiadom Boakye

B. 1977, London. Lives and works in London.

“I first encountered Lynette Yiadom Boakye’s work hanging on the wall behind the desk at a Soho House. At that time I was using a studio across the street so I’d go there to shower. Just a glance over the shoulder of the receptionist was all it took. You don’t need to stand for hours before great paintings to know that they are great. It’s instant.

“I’ve never seen a Lynette painting that was not right or that I didn’t like. They radiate quality and strength. Powerful paintings. No messing about. Deceptively simple. Immense depth. Also, for me, there is something very British about them. Lynette cites Walter Sickert as one of her inspirations and I enjoy this connection. I also see Matisse at times. Tie The Temptress To The Trojan (2016) is an example of this, a triumphant use of color and light.”

Eddie Martinez

B. 1977, Groton, Connecticut. Lives and works in New York.

“For me, art is an old religion with all of its gods and saints and demonic forces. As a painter, I consider myself part of an ancient tradition. I first saw Eddie Martinez’s work in a zine of some kind in San Francisco in 2012. I was living in a van with my ex-wife and making little oil still lifes, ironically. I don’t remember [which work] I saw, but the energy of his hand was instantly impactful. It’s a strange thing when you discover somebody’s work that you fall in love with. It’s like romantic love in the sense that it feels like you were already looking for it without even knowing it, or that you were in some way destined to encounter it.

“Back then, Eddie was making figurative table scenes and flower bouquets, but soon abandoned it to focus on the abstract element of the paintings. This transition is also a long-standing tradition in painting, but it’s one that takes great commitment.