Charity Shoal 2050

Watch the Charity Shoal 2050 video

Charity Shoal 2050 is heavily inspired by Sharma’s time on the water around the islands in Lake Ontario. Charity Shoal Crater, also known as the “graveyard of ships,” is a special place in the lake that Sharma has visited frequently throughout his life and one he continues to return to. The lake floor contains a large amount of iron from a meteor, which frequently interferes with ships’ navigational systems–not unlike the legendary Bermuda Triangle. Out of sight and past the horizon from the limestone shores of Sharma’s hometown, Charity Shoal Crater has long held mystery for him. Sharma rendered the scene in moonlight as this was likely the time when most ships lost their bearings. In this way, the painting’s lighting evokes a sense of foreboding at society’s lostness in the face of global warming.  

Nearby Wolfe Island, with its rolling pastures and cows and bulls grazing, can be seen from Charity Shoal Crater. Thus, the bull’s position in the center of this painting places it in direct conversation with the landscape Sharma hopes to protect. Here, the bull, in actuality, stands to lose its habitat. At the same time, as with the rest of the paintings in the series, the enzyme-infused creature reminds the viewer of the potential for preservation through eliminating carbon emissions. Similarly, a lighthouse glows in the background of the painting as a beacon of hope.

Charity Shoal 2050
Acrylic and methane monooxygenase on canvas
Dimensions: 36 inch x 48 inch