Theories of Evolution

The “100 Vessel Series” explores factors that have affected the course of evolution from volcanoes to viruses, asteroids to authoritarianism and climate change to chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. 

"Vessel #20—Right Arm"     Wood & Flax,    84" x 70" x 22"

Are these sculptures remnants of the ancient past or harbingers of future transformations? Are they subatomic particles or are they inhabitants of the galactic universe? 

"Vessel #83—On/Off "    Wood & Flax,     40" x 17" x 6"

“Theories of Evolution”—Where we came from?—Where are we now? and Where are we headed?  look at these questions through a lens focused on science, theology and cultural/social anthropology.

"Vessel #43—Boundaries"  Wood,   42" x 42" x 12"

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Website: http://www.jeffmkey.com

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

"The Vessel Series—Theories of Evolution"

                           The work on view at the Orchard Galleries is from

a 30+ year sculptural project entitled,
“100 Vessels—Theories of Evolution.”

The sculptures from this series, although abstract in nature, make allusion to the vessel, a cross-cultural, and at times totemic form which represents human presence and the cycle of life. 

The pieces in the “Vessel Series” are constructs or hybrids—addressing and incorporating both natural/biological and technical/industrial factors

In examining questions of evolution I have taken into consideration aspects of birth and death, rites of passage, war and power, transportation, shelter, communication, and climate change. 

When the delicate balance holding these elements together tips due to human intervention and degradation, these systems lose touch with the Earth’s harmony and develop threats to the evolution of species, ecosystems, and coexistence on the planet.

"Vessel #52—Stride"   Wood, 28" x 60" x 49"

The pieces are constructed with repurposed wood and flax, a natural plant fiber. For health and political reasons I stopped using toxic materials when I began the “Vessel Series.

"Vessel #92—Scherzo"   Wood & Flax,   27" x 333" x 42"

It is my hope that the work will inspire a viewer to ask their own questions and look at the world with a new set of parameters.  I see my work not as a body of definable theories but as a vessel of suppositions—to be pondered and chewed with a grain of salt and a cup of wonder.

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Website: http://www.jeffmkey.com

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

Fire & Water—Summer 2026

 It's the summer of 2026—And the heat keeps rising.

On June 23rd the hottest temperature on earth—124º F. was recorded at Bostan, Iran while Las Vegas and Phoenix basked at 116º F.  Wildfires are still raging in Canada, Europe, Australia and Brazil. Over 5 million acres of land have burned across the United States. Some of the world’s largest rivers—the Danube, the Rhine the Mississippi and the Amazon are all experiencing low-water levels.

In step with abnormal weather patterns floods have caused extensive damage in Spain, Italy, the Philippines, Japan, India, China, Peru, parts of the Midwest and Northeastern United States, and El Niño has arrived in the Pacific giving birth to Hurricane Lala as she thrashes Hawaii.

"Vessel # 94—Coda".    Wood & Flax,   30"  x 12" x 18"

As UN Climate Chief, Simon Stiell, said: “Worsening droughts are a red alert that our planet is overheating. Until humanity stops burning huge amounts of coal, oil and gas, these brutal climate-driven droughts will only get more severe. But the solutions are just as clear: move much faster to renewable energy."

.....and in the words of one of our favorite

summertime bands, The Beach Boys:

“It's the eve of destruction, or so they say, but mankind doesn't have
to go that way. If we all get together, we can make things right—
Get us back our summer—summer in paradise.”
_________________________________________________________

To see an artist’s interpretation of Theories of Evolution
and how our actions are affecting the planet, check out
Jeff Key’s exhibition— "The Vessel Series" at 
The Orchard Galleries in Oakland from September 12-October 24. 

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Website: http://www.jeffmkey.com

Blog:   https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

Hubris—The Impetuous Sibling of Humility-II

Summer is almost upon us.  El Nino is heating up, gas, utility and grocery prices are spiking and wars continue to be waged throughout the world.

The escalating psychic agitation gripping the populace mirrors the temperature rise of the Earth, the heat of missiles and drones headed for populated areas, and the incendiary language that is being dispersed as truth on social media. 

With the mid-term elections around the corner the dichotomy between hubris and humility is getting more pronounced.

 "The Sentinels"

In these uncertain times it might be wise 

to heed the words of Michelle Obama from 

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times:

“Stay vigorous and faithful, humble and empathetic. 

Tell the truth, do your best by others, keep perspective, 

understand history and context. 

Stay prudent, stay tough, and stay outraged.”

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Jeff Key—Website:  http://www.jeffmkey.com

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

Home

 Home should be a safe haven— a place where you can:

• Sleep at night without fear of someone knocking down your door and arresting you because you sought freedom and opportunity for your family.

• Build a nest for your children in the hope that they will have an education that teaches them to think critically and seek the truth.

• Have access to healthy food, breathe clean air and drink clean water.

• Have access to physical and mental health services.

• Love your partner regardless of their gender identity.

"Vessel #100—Home"     Wood,  18" x 20" x 82"

The concept of “home” varies in different cultures. It can be a private family-centered sanctuary, a place tied to ancestry and land, and in many cultures home is a refuge for spiritual beliefs/rituals, relationships and community.

"Vessel # 22—Nesting"   Wood,  33" x 26" x 63" (h)

Permanent Collection—City of Lafayette Library & Learning Center

"Vessel #69—Nesting-II"  

Wood, Flax & Bird's Nest,     46" x 52" x 7" (d)

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 

”A house is made of walls and beams; 

a home is built of love and dreams." 

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Jeff Key—Website:  http://www.jeffmkey.com

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/artist/356-jeff-key
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

The Truth About Swans—A Song For America

 

Art and Soul—Vilified But Not Vanquished

 

The Arts, Culture, History and News in America are all currently being rewritten. They are being guided by revisionist hands that are working overtime to bring us history and culture whitewashed of any “ideologies inconsistent with Federal Laws and Policy,” a recently signed executive order with the mandate to “Restore Truth and Sanity to American History.”

(Left)    "Vessel #98—Hitch,"  Wood,   22" x 25" x 50" (h),

(Right) "Vessel #24—Cold Secret,"  Wood, 18" x 14" x 75" (h)

Hitler’s “Degenerate Art,” Exhibition, Stalin’s execution of Ukrainian poets and writers, Mao Zedong’s “Cultural Revolution,” and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban’s “Culture Laws” have set a precedent for the current US Administration’s sanction to suppress dissent, cultural autonomy and creative expression.

This transformed interpretation of “American Culture” has resulted in assaulting the Smithsonian Institution with a directive to remove “improper, divisive or anti-American sentiments,” a call to dismantle the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, abolish “woke” performances from the Kennedy Center, defund National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcast Service (PBS), and threaten media outlets that present opposing views.

"Vessel #42—Midlife"   Wood, 22" x 20" x 81" (h).  (Private Collection)

As Mark Twain said, "How easy it is to make people believe a lie,
and how hard it is to undo that work again.”

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Jeff Key—Website:  http://www.jeffmkey.com

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/artist/356-jeff-key
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/