Martin Naylor's Legacy: From Yorkshire to Buenos Aires and Back

Martin Naylor, who was born in 1944 in Morley, Yorkshire, passed away on December 31, 2016. Known for his striking Yorkshire accent and a persona that echoed the Angry Young Men movement, he was unfortunately born too late to be part of it. His physical appearance often reflected his art, with his messy hair resembling the squiggly lines found in his later works. For many years, Naylor was a key figure in London's art community, teaching at both Leeds Art College and the Royal College of Art, while showcasing his work at places like the Rowan Gallery and the 1977 Sao Paolo Biennial. Disenchanted with the London art scene in the early 1990s, he relocated to Buenos Aires with his wife, psychoanalyst Liliana Maler, and became involved in the local art scene, exhibiting at the Centro Cultural Borges. After about fifteen years, he returned to London in 2008, though by then, his health and artistic output had diminished. His earlier pieces, such as Discarded Sweater (1973), merge surrealism with arte povera, featuring a stick figure in a sweater that may represent himself. Naylor's dynamic body of work has created a lasting impact, with his paintings and sculptures now garnering renewed interest from younger artists.