Geoffrey Key - Couples Embrace
Towards the completion of his formal academic studies in the 1960s, Geoffrey Key embarked upon a period of intensive creative study, which was to underpin the evolution of his unique, prolific and boundlessly imaginative artistic expression.
Geoffrey Key: "I wanted to paint one subject continuously for long periods of time and so for twelve months I painted this hill in Glossop (The Whitley Nab, Derbyshire) and produced about six hundred drawings, watercolours and oils I think I ended up producing about six hundred drawings, watercolours and oils."
During this time of painting the Nab, Glossop, his purpose was to shed all external influences and to discover his own artistic language. His human figure forms have their origin in the field shapes he created during that metamorphic series.
He moved from landscape to painting monumental horses, unlike any other equestrian works these riders and their chargers are the stuff of fantastic dreams.
A central aspect of his work, and an integral theme from the beginning, is the human figure. His proud, powerful figure forms ooze sensuality and reveal Key's sensibility and appreciation of the independent contemporary woman.
In his landscapes, vibrant colour pervades, restrained by a confident handling of line and form. His academic still life paintings are full of masculine assurance. An arrangement of everyday objects could hardly be less ordinary; steel knives, enamel coffee jugs and pepper grinders become beautiful objects of desire.
Geoffrey Key's works touch the viewer on many sensory levels. His fine draughtsmanship and sure handling of colour work alongside his at times bizarre imagination, revealing his joy in creating images that bridge the gap between dream and reality.
Medium : Mixed Media on Paper
Frame Measures: H 75cm x L 59cm ( H 29.6in x L 23.2in )
Art Measures: H 50cm x L 39cm ( H 19.7in x L 15.4in )