Painters Justin Mortimer and Phil Hale come to mind. Mortimer I've just recently became a fan of, Hale I've followed for at least a decade now. Both paint somewhat similar subject matters but have their own techniques and palette choices. I believe the two share/shared a studio at one point. Recent Mortimer is vibrant and gaudy. Hale loves his olive green and drab. Both know what the hell they're doing.
Justin Mortimer:
http://justinmortimer.co.uk/2020-21.htmlPhil Hale:
https://jonathanlevineprojects.com/artists/phil-hale/Personally, I think these paintings feel more industrial noise to me than PE. There's a sense of mystery with each piece that makes you wonder what the fuck is going on and the figures are often cut up or the anatomy is skewed just enough for it to be uneasy to look at. The subtly is what sells it for me. Clearly they're both skilled as traditional painters but add a heavy abstract element as well.
Digging further, Hale is lesser known for his collage work which I think is just as good as his paintings:
https://cafans.b-cdn.net/images/Category_1860/subcat_133823/Device2.jpg
(Not too much found online, sadly)
Piecing together different photos of metal objects to create something foreign yet recognizable. Items taped together in a manic manner which lends to the post apocalyptic objects he's creating.If you can track down the "Mockingbird/Relaxeder" books by him, I strongly suggest picking them up.
I typically disdain the kind of hyper-vivid hyper-realist painting style of someone like Mortimer, but his technique and color palette is truly astonishing and undeniably potent. I was intro'd to his work by a friend a few years ago and have been excited to see his work ever since.
