Surreal landscape painting with two deer fighting, trees, industrial tanks, pillars, and a yellow-orange sky.

Abstract painting of a large pit resembling an amphitheater with water at the bottom, surrounded by trees

Mashups

Inspired by 17th - 18th century European and British paintings and contemporary North American transportation routes and industrial sites, Mashups represent a collision of ancient and contemporary structural fragments, forms and places. These Mashups are contemporary Capriccios – depictions of architectural fantasies and follies – a reflection on place and time.

Painting of a bridge with tall concrete pillars, surrounded by greenery. Includes small archway structure and miniature Statues resembling iconic monuments, creating a surreal scene with vibrant colors and detailed texture.

Artistic depiction of an underground garden with trees extending towards a domed ceiling, and a central pool reflecting light from an opening above.

"The Nature of Follies asks us to look through the landscapes in which we live in order to see them as theatres. Charlton invites us to uncover the myths which structure the plays which unfold in them. He tells us that what is true in classical mythology holds true today if we are only able to divine the nature of pathetic fallacy and the folly of trying to dominate nature."”

Tom Smart – excerpt from his opening remarks to the ‘The Nature of Follies’ exhibition, 1994

Colonnade, 1993, acrylic on canvas, 132 x 167 cm

Renascence, 1993, acrykic on canvas, 183 x 137 cm

Tower, 1993, acrylic on canvas, 107 x 132 cm

Secret Garden, 1993, acrylic on canvas, 112 x 132 cm.jpg

Span, 1993, acrylic on canvas, 107 x 132 cm

Crossing, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 137 x 137 cm

Sky Hook, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 92 x 137 cm

Conduit I, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 143 x 130 cm

Conduit II, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 143 x 72 cm

Canopus, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 137 x 213.5 cm

Torch, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 137 x 107 cm

Colosseum, 1991, acrylic on canvas, 112 x 201 cm

Excavation, 1990, acrylic on plywood, 81 x 320 cm

Rotunda, 1990, acrylic on canvas, 183 x 132 cm

Archimedean Stair, 1989, acrylic on canvas, 226 x 112 cm

Shadow Space in the Loggia, 1989, acrylic on canvas, 71 x 127 cm

Tree River, 1989, acrylic on canvas, 107 x 132 cm

Parkway, 1989, acrylic on canvas, 127 x 96 cm

Crossing, 1988, charcoal and acrylic on paper, 137 x 86 cm

Canal Bed, 1987, charcoal on paper, 150 x 104 cm