Charley never had much to say about specific artistic influences, and always steered far clear of anything resembling an artist’s statement. One essayist found debts to Francis Bacon and Caravaggio in a series of figurative paintings in the late 1990s. Looking at his more recent work, which is more abstract, some detect an Asian reference, or perhaps an influence from such modern masters as Robert Motherwell, Franz Kline or Richard Serra.

For Charley, literature and music provided constant sources of freshness and ideas. He began listening to the music of Igor Stravinsky at the age of 16. “I’ve had other musical phases, of course,” Charley explained a couple of years ago. “But I always go back to Stravinsky. There’s just something about it. The rhythms are very complex. The instrumentations are sparse. He does a lot with a little. There’s an economic use of the sound, and it sounds just right to me.”

In his last years, Charley said he drew renewed energy in the work of novelist Marcel Proust. He listened to audiobook versions of the French writer’s work over and over during the past few years, as he restored a better balance between the demands of life and his personal exploration. “Proust changed my world,” he said. “I discovered what a monumental artistic achievement Proust had accomplished. Proust’s work has been a constant reminder to be honest with myself and my work.”

For many years, until his death in November, 2018, Charley shared a beautifully-preserved Victorian townhouse with his partner (and husband since 2011) Mark Evans, who has pursued his own independent artistic career. The downstairs entrance opens into the business office of Evans & Brown, a jointly-owned enterprise that became famous for creating decorative murals and wallcoverings. The middle office has always been Mark’s. At the rear, in a more airy studio giving onto a leafy urban garden, was Charley’s domain. He was often found there, listening yet again while he worked to the recording of À la recherche du temps perdu. Each volume lasts around 25 hours. There are seven volumes. “I’m getting to know it pretty well,” Charley said.