Charlton was born in Sheffield in 1948 and studied at Sheffield School of Art, Camberwell School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools in London. He lives and works in England.
“I want my paintings to be abstract, direct, urban, basic, modest, pure, simple, silent, honest, absolute”– Alan Charlton paints entirely monochrome grey paintings which he has been doing so since the early 1970s. Far from being rigid and monotone, Charlton’s works concentrate on physicality, uniformity and method and they evoke a profound sense of the painting as a spatial entity.
Charlton originally chose to paint in grey because of its ordinary quality but he rapidly recognised that the colour held special characteristics. Consequently, the paintings are far more expressive than anticipated or initially appear. Immaculate surfaces are interrupted by form and rhythm is generated by broken repetition. Charlton has been an inspiration for many contemporary artists and his paintings are a testimony to his continually honest and enduring vision and integrity.
Charlton has exhibited widely in the UK and across Europe as well as the US, Korea and Australia. His work is represented in public collections and museums around the world.