"I want my paintings to be abstract, direct, urban, basic, modest, pure, simple, silent, honest, absolute."
A few basic rules have generated Alan Charlton's entire work for nearly four decades. All the paintings must be grey, a different grey for each painting: the dimensions must be multiples of 4.5cm, which is the depth of the support.
A third rule is that paintings must be installed. Although paintings are always made with a particular space in mind, they can be moved to other locations on the understanding that they will be properly installed in this new space, rather than simply hung: in other words, they must have a considered relation to the whole space in which they are placed.
Having a cool, dramatic or sometimes aggressive presence, Charlton's paintings are more amenable on closer inspection. The paint is brushed in lightly and evenly to emphasise the texture of the canvas, making them subtly responsive to light. A combination of conceptual clarity and painterly handling gives each painting an impressive range, from confrontation to tactile intimacy.
Although generated by a system, the success of any painting is not guaranteed. Each painting is new to its occasion and situation, so that Charlton can speak truthfully in the singular; "I am an artist who makes a grey painting."