Geoffrey Key (b.1941)
Trees
Signed and dated (19)77, mixed media, 43.5cm by 28cm

Born in Manchester in 1941, Geoffrey Key was encouraged to draw from a young age by his mother, who was an illustrator.

He enrolled at Manchester High School for Art, and then the Manchester Regional Collage of Art in 1958 where he was tutored by sculptor Ted Roocroft and painter Harry Rutherford, who greatly inspired him.

Upon graduation, he began a career as a teacher and made the conscious decision to move away from the style of his mentor and develop his own artistic language, heavily influenced by European Modernism. In order to do this, he painted hundreds of paintings of Whitley nab in Derbyshire, capturing the ever changing landscape and conditions.

Key’s interest lies in the form of line and movement, and his works combine a playful juxtaposition of colour, texture and light.

The artist once stated, "I love life… I love the joys of being alive. I try to paint happy pictures."

As an artist, Key has a long and established record of solo exhibitions in the UK and further afield. He has gained academic awards, namely the Heywood Medal in Fine Art and the Guthrie Bond Travelling Scholarship.