Geoffrey Key

Geoffrey Key (born 13 May 1941 in Rusholme, Manchester, England) is a British painter and sculptor. A number of public art collections have examples of his work.

Early life and education Key's mother, Marion, worked as an illustrator, and encouraged him to draw.

Key was educated at the Manchester High School of Art, whose headmaster, Ernest Goodman, established the Salford Art Club. After Goodman's death, its members chose Key as the Honorary President.

In 1958, Key enrolled at the Manchester Regional College of Art. His paintings and sculpture feature in several public art collections in North West England, including Salford and Manchester Art Galleries. Shows have taken place across the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA and his work is exhibited and sold in galleries in the UK, Ireland, the US and Hong Kong.

In May 2013 Key's work was exhibited at Messum's Art Gallery in London. Described as one of the most important living painters, prices for Key's work have risen steadily over the last decade.

Key has also published several books. G Key - A Book of Drawings and Interview (1975), Daydreams (1981), Clowns (2001), Geoffrey Key Twentieth Century Drawings (2002), Images (2004), Geoffrey Key Paintings (2008), Birds (2010). Signature Book (2011).

In 2011 Key was filmed for a documentary about his work and life by Andy Pacino, a filmmaker and author from Manchester. It had the working title Saltglaze Pot.

Speaking with the Manchester Evening News in October 2009 Key said of his style and manner of working "If I'm doing a still life. I'll set it up, look at it for an hour or so, put it away and then paint it. I find the mind's great at distilling, at breaking it down into essentials. If I'm looking at it I find myself copying every detail, and that isn't necessary. I couldn't sit in a field painting a landscape because I would just feel I'm copying nature when photography can do a better job. Painting it from memory, recreating in on canvas can do quite another job".

In 2023 Geoffrey Key's recent successful GOTH exhibition & book launch at Cheshire Art Gallery was only the second time a complete series of his paintings has even been shown.