Jeff Key

As we approach another contentious presidential election while wars rage, terrorism is on the rise and we bear witness to another summer of sweltering heat and wildfires—it might be time to consider how to contend with all this turmoil. 

What is needed is a way to relieve stress, understand that there are conditions out of our control, and come to the realization that nothing in life is ever perfect.

Our imperfect union, like fabric, can be torn by grievous circumstances like autocratic leaders, voter suppression, the inequity of the electoral collage, or an “ethically-challenged” supreme court. 

As we look inward and weigh the best way to move forward, we can either become consumed by anxiety and fear or we can take a positive form of action—voting, giving money to worthy candidates and causes, trying to alleviate climate change, or protesting injustice. 

As Michelle Obama said at the Democratic Convention, 

“I’m telling y’all—to do something.”

                    "Vessel #70—Nesting II".  Wood, Flax, Bird's Nest.    54" x 46" x 7"

If we think of the crises affecting the world today as manifestations of an imperfect journey that shifts with the wind, we should also consider the words of Leonardo da Vinci, as he contemplated his own existential conundrum—

“A painting is never finished, only abandoned.”

                                                          Jeff Key's work can be seen at:

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/

 Soul:  An immaterial force or spirit within a human being thought to give the body life, energy and power. Often thought to live on after death. 

Bioelectricity: The electricity that transmits encoded signals throughout a human body’s 36-trillion cells.

As electrically charged beings whose soul is being tested, how do we process this pulsating current that is driving our emotions?  As Ray Charles said in a 1966 interview for Life Magazine, “What is a soul? It's like electricity—we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room.”

Walt Whitman explored the interconnectedness of body and soul while Ray Bradbury questioned whether a machine could possess a soul. 

Both writers were harbingers for the collective trauma found in our post-pandemic world. We have been psychologically impacted by loss of life due to disease and war and by a paradigm shift in our work places, school systems and the culture at large.

"Endangered #12—Torque"     Wood & Fiberglass,  36" x 12" x 8" 

Whitman and Bradbury would be fascinated to learn how the “Body Electric” has become a key therapeutic element in the emerging field of Bioelectricity. We are wired with electrical impulses that travel via voltage spikes in nerve and muscle cells to control our bodily and brain functions.This bioelectric energy not only drives who we are but is also a contributing factor in defining our soul.

The manipulation of the electricity generated by a living organism is now being tested in the medical field as a potential tool to control the spread of cancer cells, speed up the healing of wounds, regrow limbs and organs, and mitigate agitation in the brain caused by anxiety or disease.

"Endangered #12—Torque"  Wood & Fiberglass, 36" x 12" x 8"

As summer heats up we can become consumed by sensory overload. It might be time to draw from our internal electrical power bank, harness our soul, and focus on some positive signs:

         
"Vessel #75—Quarter/Half" Wood, 24" x 48" x120" (h)

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/

Watching a battalion of ants march through a crack in my bathroom molding I was in awe of their determination and sense of purpose.

What was their plan for today?—Steal my toothpaste and feed the troops, grab a drink, or burrow into a warm, dry nest.

The ants seem to be communicating with each other as their plan unfolded—their collective efforts, a lesson in perseverance. Some ant species have been observed utilizing organizational skills, division of labor, and sophisticated agriculture while harvesting food.

"The Ants Return"    Pigment Print on Rag Paper.     20" x 24"

But like humans—ants also exploit the rules. Some ant species are known as social parasites who engage in warfare, take over other colonies, kidnap their neighbor’s pupae and turn them into slaves along with captured workers.

Some humans have also been known to practice social parasitism as they seek elective office, seats on judicial benches and engage in corporate kleptocracy. They have been known to use their status as an opportunity to harvest material benefits and power for themselves, their families and their friends.

This might include former US Presidents who profit from global business networks, current Supreme Court justices who take gifts from wealthy benefactors, and despots throughout the world who subjugate people for territory and profit.

"Vessel #58"—Vestige"    Wood, Flax, Bone, Wasp Nest.   48" x 22" x 6"                                                      (Collection of the Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art)

Before you begin to exterminate our “resourceful guests” consider that in some cultures the presence of ants is an omen for spiritual meaning.

In Native American culture ants are seen as symbols of diligence and patience, in African folklore ants are associated with wisdom and ingenuity, and in Chinese culture they bring good luck and wealth.

"Vessel #97—Hitch"   Wood,  22" x 25" x 50" (h).                                                                                     (from the series, "100 Vessels—Theories of Evolution")

So……Happy spring…..
It’s time to smell the flowers, have a picnic and take note of our
“ant friends” who are just doing their best, like all of us,
to survive and thrive.

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

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:
Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/artist/356-jeff-key
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

As I walked out the door on this brisk, January morning I thrust my finger into the air to sample the prevailing breeze.

Which way will the wind be blowing as we
embark on this new year—2024?

Will the current slant leeward toward the proverbial canary in a coal mine— or will it shift windward to ruffle the plumage of the enigmatic peacock strutting his stuff on my front lawn.

When Kevin, our adopted pet peacock, arrived in July 2023 and took up residence on our street we thought it was a sign from the Buddha Dharma that maybe understanding, benevolence, and compassion had finally landed in Oakland, California.

Now seven months later—Kevin, our old trusted friend, has come to symbolize even more as he has opened our eyes to what is right in the world—a sense of wonder, dreams of new possibilities, and a catalyst for bringing our community together.

When our neighbors gather at sundown to watch Kevin scamper up his tree and settle into his nest for the night we always toast him and deliver a nest-time benediction, “thank you Kevin for showing us how the simple pleasure of interacting with one nature’s most magnificent creatures can endow us with a much needed moment of joy.”

As we say farewell to 2023, the Persian (Avestian) Year of the Peacock, and move into 2024 I am drawn to the words that Emily Dickinson wrote in 1891 about our avian soothsayers—

“Hope” is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops - at all.”

.....................................................................................
If a peacock in Oakland can bring neighbors together
to foster a community of good will and optimism,
then there is indeed hope….. Happy New Year. 

Jeff Key—New Revised Website:    http://www.jeffmkey.com/
To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:
Sculpturesite Gallery:   https://sculpturesite.com/artist/356-jeff-key
Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

Written and sung by Woody Guthrie, some have called "This Land Is Your Land" an alternative national anthem. Others say it's a Marxist response to Irving Berlin’s, "God Bless America," and some Native Americans consider it “tone deaf” in reference to their “stolen land.”

 Last month we observed Indigenous Peoples Day, in November we commemorate American Indian Heritage Month, and this week we will celebrate Thanksgiving.

 Native Americans will observe the 4th Thursday of November as a National Day of Mourning. Gatherings will take place to remember fallen ancestors, and to tell the Native American version of Thanksgiving that includes accounts of genocide, the spread of disease and the theft of their land.

 As we celebrate our freedom and bounty it is an appropriate time to remember indigenous people not only in America but throughout the world who are still struggling to hold onto their land, their rights and their dignity.

The Aboriginal Dharug tribes who lived in Western Sydney, Australia called the forests and rivers Parramatta which means "head of waters", "the place where the eels lie down.” By the late 1790s, the area was claimed by more than 400 British settlers who put up barriers that cut off the river and the food supply of the Dharug people

Link to “Parramatta” by Jeff Key…….
https://jeffmkey.com/artwork/5180682-100 Vessels—Theories of Evolution.html

It is estimated that there are more than 476 million indigenous people spread across 90 countries worldwide. The United Nations defines indigenous peoples as “the holders of unique languages, knowledge systems and beliefs. They have a special relation to and use of their traditional land. Their ancestral land has a fundamental importance for their collective physical and cultural survival as peoples.” (Source: UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2021).

Conflicts over disputed land, natural resources and ethnic/religious ideology continue to rage throughout the world today— 

"Vessel #32—Beacon"   Wood, Flax, Paper Pulp & Stone 20" x 8" x 10"

Treaties, covenants, accusations, appeals, logic, irony, seduction, anthems, epithets, sermons, elegies, declaration, defamation, deification—written on parchment—etched in stone—signed with the wind.

Vessel #15—Tapper”  Wood,  24" x 30" x 48" 
—For Chico Mendes, (1944-1988), President of the Xapuri Rubber Tappers' Union in Brazil. Known as the "Gandhi of the Rain Forest," Mendes was assassinated by cattle ranchers angered by his efforts to stop them from exploiting indigenous land in the Amazon jungle.

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Indigenous people throughout the world have risen up physically to resist persecution— but being under constant duress has also resulted in psychological damage.

 Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, a Native American mental health professional has developed a model for the historical trauma caused by the long-term subjugation of indigenous people. Her model recognizes intergenerational, emotional and psychological damage and offers methods use to heal including confronting the trauma, embracing history, and moving from “victim” to “survivor.” 

 As we head into Thanksgiving and the Holiday season I conclude with an Aboriginal proverb that hopefully will help set the tone for a kinder, more peaceful world:

 “We are all visitors to this time—this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home.”

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

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To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

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

My recent blog posts on genetic engineering and AI (Artificial Intelligence) raised concern about how we are altering the course of human evolution.

Scientific investigation and innovation are constantly adding to the calculus of the age-old evolutionary questions: “Where did we come from?” and “Where we are we heading?”

In order to answer these questions we can now add the terms “Coacervate Droplet,” “Mammalian Parthenogenesis” and “Xenobots” to our lexicon.

"Vessel #95—Reconcile". Wood & Flax,  20" x 8" 10"

"Vessel #5—Crosscurrent". Wood & Flax  24"x 4" x 18"

Like all new AI and genetic engineering advancements the ethical implications of these techniques will have to be weighed and regulated. 

As Charles Darwin said, “A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on their past actions and their motives -of approving of some and disapproving of others.”

Jeff Key—New Revised Website:http://www.jeffmkey.com/
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To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:
Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/artist/356-jeff-key
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/

Artificial Intelligence (AI), programs that can replicate human thinking, have arrived with readily accessible programs like OpenAI’s Chat GPT4, Microsoft’s Bing, Google’s Bard and in the visual realm DALL-E2, Midjourney and Adobe Firefly. With AI, like genetic engineering, we have unleashed another genie from the bottle that could alter the course of human evolution.

I could have written this blog using Chat GPT4 and included artwork designed with DALL-E 2 or Midjourney but after doing some research I decided that what AI programs lack at this point in time is “soul.” 

Joe from the Pixar film,“Soul” defined soul as, “the space between the spiritual and the physical.”  

Where does soul come from? Is it rooted in a deep recess of our brain’s limbic system or does it reside in our belly seasoned by the ups and downs of life—love, loss, empathy, compassion, connections to people and nature? How can an algorithm detect the subtleties of a tear, a blush, a wink, a nod, or the flick of a wrist? 

(r) “Vessel #73—Counter”,  Wood & Flax, 33” x 13” x 24".   (l) “Vessel #72—Gualala-II,  Wood & Flax, 17” 15” x 15”

• While pondering how Artificial Intelligence will impact your life, consider the words of wisdom from Arthur Weasley, Ministry of Magic Wizard from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (by J. K. Rowling). 

”Never trust anything that can think for itself  if you can't see where it keeps its brain."  

To See More of Jeff Key's artwork:

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com                Blog: https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com.                                 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/.  @jeffmkey                                                     Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

Just when you thought it was safe to venture out again, scientists are fueling our collective anxiety with talk of the Earth being hit by an asteroid, solar flares, or being consumed by a black hole. And that’s before mentioning that the Air Force recently shot down three UFO’s that might have been looking for a place to land.

Like the deadly virus mutations circulating the globe the threats from outer space are being examined in equal detail by the fine-tuned eye of the James Webb telescope that can peer back 13.6 billion light years to the formation of the first stars and galaxies.

Except for the recent slipping of tectonic plates the Earth has calmed down after a hot, fire-scorched summer filled with drought, rampaging floods and intense hurricanes.

But what if we were suddenly confronted by life forces from another galaxy? Would the nations of the world be able to hammer out a strategy to save humankind or would they fall back on their countries’ military might and maneuver to make a deal with the aliens to control the planet?

Don’t spit out your coffee yet……there is about a 1-in-400,000,000 chance of any of these celestial bodies hitting the Earth…..and the last sighting of a lumbering, orange-haired alien was at the White House where it was seen dazed and confused while tweeting “It’s all a big lie.”

As we continue to probe outer space in search of answers to these questions it might be time to contemplate just how small and insignificant we are in the grand scale of the cosmos.

As Arthur Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, said, “Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”

To See More of Jeff Key's Artwork:

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com 

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jeffkeyart/  

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.                               

                                                                       —A.A. Milne from Winnie the Pooh

I am updating this year-end blog post from 2017 because the last six years have been difficult for people throughout the world. 

In 2022 we have encountered the war in Ukraine, the threat of nuclear confrontation, shootings in schools and public venues, the continuing threat of Covid-19, natural disasters caused by climate change, the global rise of authoritarianism along with attacks on human rights, inflation, food and housing insecurity, and an increase in stress and mental health issues. 

"Berlin—The Wall"

Because it’s the holiday season it might be time to take a break, consider the little things in life that give us contentment and think about Piglet’s conundrum, “What gets you up in the morning?”

In Denmark its Hygge, a concept originating in the 18th Century that revers the small things in life, emphasizes experiences over possessions, and encourages a sense of community. 

Similar forms of this philosophy can also be found in many cultures throughout the world:  it’s Lagom in Swedish, Gemütlichkeit in German, Fargin in Yiddish, Jugaad in Hindi, Ikigai in Japanese, Mbuki-Mvuki in Bantu, and Xìngfú in Chinese.

 "Berlin—Hornblower

So on to 2023 with a hot cup of tea and thoughts of a few positive things that happened in 2022:  The Covid-19 vaccine reached 1-billion worldwide doses, at the UN Climate Conference more than 25 countries pledged to end deforestation and 82% pledged to decarbonize by 2030, the Inflation Reduction Act lowered health care premiums and will reduce carbon emissions in the US by 40% by 2030, and a bipartisan vote of Congress passed gun legislation that includes restrictions on who can buy guns.    

Happy Holidays to all…. and as they say…..Felices Fiestas in Spanish, Hạnh phúc ngày lễ in Vietnamese, Selamat Hari Raya in Indonedisan, Kales Diakopes in Greek, and Furaha likizo in Swahili.

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com 

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jeffkeyart/  

First it was the Bubonic Plague and the Spanish Flu, then Ebola, Covid-19, Monkeypox, and now it’s H5N1—better known as Avian Influenza Virus. 

Just when we thought it was somewhat safe to resume our pre-Covid Thanksgiving rituals along comes another highly pathogenic virus. The primary risk factor for human infection from Avian Flu appears to be exposure to infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments. 

Although transmission from birds to humans is rare, Avian flu has decimated the bird population and made Thanksgiving Turkey a scarce commodity.

Climate change and habitat infringement are increasing the spread of disease as animals are forced out of their natural habitat and coming in closer contact with other species including humans. Changing water temperature and altered migratory wild bird patterns have led to increased contact with domestic poultry and humans.

The spread of Avian Flu along with inflation and supply shortages have also affected the price of this year’s turkeys. Farmers and processors are paying more for feed, fuel and labor and these costs are being passed on to consumers.

So, if you haven’t ordered your Thanksgiving turkey yet, you might be out of luck. You could always throw together some wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, miso paste and vegetable broth, and call it a “Vegan Turkey.” A plant-based holiday might help save the planet and a few turkeys along the way.

Jeff Key's Work:

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jeffkeyart/  

Having just celebrated the 4th of July it’s an appropriate time to reconsider liberty and justice in America. Our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) fought for freedom from oppression. The last 200+years have been a constant struggle to ensure equal rights for everyone.

Throughout history the gatekeeper of these rights has been the Supreme Court. They have made many positive decisions to advance justice, but the pendulum has now swung back as recent cases decided by the Court have reversed or altered laws that have granted these rights.

“45” told us he was going to “Drain the Swamp.” Like most things he told us—his version of the truth was illusory. Instead, the swamp under his direction became filled with a host of new vermin. 

His four years of adding muck to the Swamp is headlined by the lingering presence of “Twitch McConaSlug”, and his back-up group of pests.....

"Stop! In the Name of Love"
(With apologies to the "Motown Supremes")

And Thankfully…
We still have the last remaining “Vessel of Sanity”—Elena, Ketanji and Sonia trying their best  to uphold “Truth, Justice and the American way.”

To See More of Jeff Key's Artwork:

Website: www.jeffmkey.com

Sculpturesite Gallery:https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

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

In the month of April Muslims celebrate Ramadan, Christians commemorate Easter and Jews observe Passover. During this holy period it’s time to take stock and consider the tenets of the predominant world religions—reflection, prayer, redemption, gratitude and compassion.

As tribalism, war and persecution increases worldwide we are once again faced with an existential dilemma. What are the root causes of these ongoing animosities—intolerance, fear, greed, revenge or just human nature?

• There are many reasons for the Russian invasion of Ukraine—Ukraine forging closer ties with the EU and NATO; control of Eastern Ukraine’s energy assets; Putin’s nationalistic claim that Russians and Ukrainians are one people; and the ongoing religious feud involving the split between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Church which resulted in Ukraine receiving religious autonomy from Russia in 2019.

• In 1947 the Middle East was carved up by the British and U.N. setting in motion an ongoing dispute about who gets to inhabit “the holy land.” This hostility is prevalent today as authority over Jerusalem is highly contested due to the presence of holy sites for Christians, Jews and Muslims in the city. The Jewish State of Israel and Muslim Palestinians are still trying to resolve this territorial conflict.

• The discord between Saudi Arabia (Sunni) and Iran (Shia)—each with its own version of Islam—has intensified over the last forty years with proxy wars currently being engaged in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, North Africa and Central Asia. 

• Both Sunnis and Shiites read the Quran and believe that the Prophet Muhammad was the messenger of Allah. The primary differences between the sects is their belief over who shall succeed the Prophet Muhammad. Their prayer rituals are similar but Shiites stand with their hands at their sides and Sunnis put their hands on their stomachs. 

• Mob violence involving targeted attacks on person and property against Christian communities is also prevalent in some areas of the Middle East particularly in Iraq, Syria and Egypt. 

• Hindus and Muslims in Southern Asia have had cultural and religious differences since the end of the Mughal Empire.This conflict continued throughout British Rule and culminated with the 1947 Partition that split the two factions into Hindu majority India and Muslim majority Pakistan. The Himalayan region of Kashmir continues this ongoing struggle for control between these two combatants.

• In China the ethnic minority Muslim Uyghurs are persecuted by the government and sent to “re-education camps,” made to do forced labor, tortured, and in some cases women are being sterilized, forced to have abortions, and sexually abused.

• In North Korea Christians are deported to labor camps as political criminals or in some cases like possessing a bible they are executed on the spot.

• In Myanmar the military and Buddhist nationalists have perpetrated ethnic and religious persecution against the Sunni Muslim Rohingya people. In order to escape wide-scale human rights violations over a million Rohingya have fled to other countries.

•Africa has become a front line in the jihadist war waged by rival factions of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) whose mission is to defend Islam. Al-Qaeda and IS share a common loathing for secular, Western-supported rulers who they call “apostates.” (BBC News)

•The religious right in the United States questions science, wants to control women’s bodies and opposes critical race theory in schools, LGBTQ rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement. They believe that the 2020 election was stolen, the January 6th arrested rioters are political prisoners and that Christian morality is the necessary foundation for governance in a free republic.

Jeff Key's work can be seen at:

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art-blogspot.com

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

All dripping in tangles green, Cast up by a lonely sea; If purer for that, O Weed, Bitterer, too, are ye?   - Herman Melville, The Tuft of Kelp (1888)

Soy sauce and seaweed go really well with potato chips. Jose Andres, Chef, founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit providing meals in the wake of natural disasters.

Taking a stroll on the beach these days one is confronted with a 21st Century conundrum—the environmental impact of seaweed?

• If your glass is half-full—seaweed is an environmental miracle and a new “superfood.”

• If your glass is half-empty—seaweed is a noxious, insect-infected weed piling up on our beaches.

• Seaweed—The Plus Side:

• It has a negative carbon footprint—absorbing 20% more CO2 than it produces.

• It produces oxygen—phytoplankton, kelp and algae account for 50-80% of the total oxygen on Earth. (national geographic.org )

• It’s used as livestock feed cutting methane emissions from cows.

• It’s a new superfood—providing high levels of vitamin A, B12, K, folate, iodine, fibre                     and high protein. It reduces blood pressure and improves digestive health.

• It binds ice-cream, wraps sushi, and moisturizes skin.

• Seaweed—The Negative Side:

• It’s proliferating in unprecedented volume—caused by the rise in ocean temperature, coastal deforestation, and agricultural/sewage runoff.

• It rots on beaches, contains high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals, creates a sulfurous odor, and attracts insects. 

• It’s smothering dolphins and sea turtles, creating toxic algae bloom (“red tides”) and killing fish by depleting oxygen from the water.

• So head for the beach. Try to step over the rotting clumps of kelp and if you’re hungry grab a bite of nutritious seaweed to fortify your immune system.

Jeff Key's work can be seen at:

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art-blogspot.com

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

“Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses—especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”                         ― Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

“This is not our world with trees in it. It's a world of trees, where humans have just arrived.”― Richard Powers, The Overstory, (2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction)

Anthropocene—The current geological age—viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.

As this exhausting year comes to a close and we wrestle with the consequences of Covid-19, climate change, societal inequities, and tribal discord it might be time to take a “time-out” from our divisiveness to consider how all living things—plants, animals and humans, are interconnected and interdependent.

In “Jurassic Park” Dr. Malcolm explains the “butterfly effect” as it pertains to “chaos theory” and its unpredictability in complex systems—“a butterfly can flap its wings in Peking, and in Central Park you get rain instead of sunshine.”

We do not live in a vacuum. When a coal plant in West Virginia spews mercury, lead and sulfur dioxide into the air its effect on global warming causes sea level rises, drought, and disease as far away as the Marshall Islands in the Pacific atoll.

Trees throughout the world are being cut down for agricultural expansion, logging, and urbanization resulting in water shortages, desertification, and mass extinction. Deforestation is forcing disease-carrying wild animals closer to humans, allowing new strains of infectious diseases like the coronavirus to thrive. 

Only about 15% of the world’s forests, which are key to maintaining biodiversity, now remain intact. The United Nations recently reported that one million species might be pushed to extinction in the next few years. (World Resources Institute) 

At last month’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland over 100 countries agreed to stop deforestation and 196 countries agreed to cut fossil fuel emissions 45% by the end of this decade—130 countries agreed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. (Council on Foreign Relations, Nov. 2021) 

                                           Will these agreements be honored?

When I walked into my backyard this morning to greet the big 200+ year-old Oak tree looming over the garden I watched it breathe in CO2 and exhale oxygen. Within its branches were birds building nests, butterflies flapping their wings, and squirrels gathering acorns for the winter. I said some words of gratitude to all of them knowing that they were playing their part to keep our planet alive. 

As Ma Shouying, a character in Richard Power’s Overstory, said to his son, “You can’t come back to something that is gone.”

Jeff Key's Work:                                                                                                                Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com                                                                                   Blog: https://jeffmkey-art-blogspot.com                                                                                 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/.                                              Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” ― Charles Darwin, British naturalist, On the Origin of Species, 1859 

“The power to control our species’ genetic future is awesome and terrifying. Deciding how to handle it may be the biggest challenge we have ever faced.” ― Jennifer A. Doudna, 2020 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology at UC-Berkeley 

Mother Earth’s oldest child, affectionately known as Mother Nature, has found herself in turmoil these days. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about with climate change and variant viruses, she now has to confront another existential challenge—biogenetic engineering.

With the advent of mRNA vaccines that deliver cellular instructions to create anti-bodies to fight off Covid-19; CRSPR, a gene-editing tool that cuts out disease-causing DNA and replaces it with healthy DNA; the continuing controversy over genetically modified food; and the coming advancements of artificial intelligence as a medical diagnostic tool; robotic surgery; regenerative stem cell therapy; 3-D printed organs; and cellular agriculture—it’s time to take stock as we move forward on the evolutionary road map.

"Vessel #94—Harbinger"  Wood, 28" x 22" x 24". 2021


Is it a sign of progress that we are able to fix Mother Nature’s mistakes, or is it a harbinger of concern precipitated by the ability to alter the natural selection of species?

Only time and history will tell the story.

Website: https://www.jeffmkey.com

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art-blogspot.com

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jeffkeyart/ 

Mother Earth usually starts her day with a good “tree fart.” This foul odor emanates from “ghost forests”—dead trees along her coastal shores that give off carbon emissions.

The rise in sea level caused by climate change is poisoning the soil with saltwater and leaving stands of rotting trees in its wake. Mother Earth is mourning her trees— their last toxic breath—another warning sign.

"Boundaries"—Pigment Print on Rag Paper

By mid-afternoon it’s time to unload her “sea snot”—a nasty mucus-excreting organism (phytoplankton bloom) that has become a threat to her coastal flanks. 

Agriculture and sewage runoff are feeding the algae in her seas forming “sea snot,” a gelatinous blanket attracting viruses and bacteria that are taking over large bodies of water—polluting them, blocking out the sun, depleting oxygen, and suffocating coral and fish.

While sipping her evening cocktail, Mother Earth, with an aching sadness for her beloved missing Monarch butterflies keeps asking, “where have they gone?” 

Climate change, pesticides, and habitat destruction have ravaged this once thriving population. Where once there were over 4 million Monarchs in 1980 there are now fewer than 2000—a drop of 99%. Mother Earth asks all of us to plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native flowers, food for the monarch larvae in the hope that once again she can see and hear the flutter of golden wings.

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Jeff Key's Work can be seen at the Ruth Bancroft Garden through August 29th

Ruth Bancroft Garden—1552 Bancroft Rd., Walnut Creek, CA 94598
For Ticket Information: www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/sculpture2021/

Additional work can be seen at:
Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155
Blog:   https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com/

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

Jeff Key—Fourth of July 2021

“There are seasons in every country when noise and impudence pass current for worth; and in popular commotions especially, the clamors of interested and factious [individuals] are often mistaken for patriotism."  —Alexander Hamilton

"You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it." —Malcolm X

As we observe the Fourth of July the question of how we define patriotism in America has become an ongoing debate and a source of division within the country. 

Whose beliefs are more patriotic—someone who carries the flag into the Capitol because they think the election was "stolen," someone who carries the flag to protest racism and injustice, or someone who kneels during the national anthem?

• An old Saturday Night Live skit asked the question—Who is more macho?
Today the question is—Who is more patriotic?

Is it someone like Michael Flynn, former US National Security Advisor, who appeared at a “For God and Country Patriotic Roundup,” suggesting that we call for the military to overthrow our democratically elected president, or is it someone like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who asks, “What’s more patriotic: fighting for the inclusion and rights of ‘more’ Americans, or working to exclude and marginalize fellow Americans based on their beliefs and identity.”

The answers to these questions are open to each individual’s interpretation. On the Fourth of July—fly our flag for your beliefs, honor our freedom—but also recognize that our freedom is not perfect, and there are many among us who feel that they have been marginalized or denied liberty. 

As Amanda Gorman so eloquently said in her Inauguration poem—
"While democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. We will not march back to what was but move to what shall be. A country that is bruised, but whole, benevolent, but bold, fierce and free."

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Jeff Key's work can be seen at:

For ticket information to the Ruth Bancroft Garden:

https://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/sculpture2021/ 

Additional work can be seen at:

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

Blog:   https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com/

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

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

“We're waxin' down our surfboards. We can't wait for June. We’ll all be gone for the summer. We’re on surfari to stay.” —Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, Surfin’ USA 

“We all have a wave in our life; and you learn to surf that wave to shore.”                             —Paul Theroux, author of “Under the Wave at Waimea”

As we enter the summer of 2021 the wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic is finally cresting. The tension of the past year ebbs and flows like the tides trying to placate a restless moon. 

We grab our boards and head for the beach hoping that the sun and surf will begin to heal our psychic and physical wounds

Can the sound of the ocean drown out the the anguish lingering in our heads from Covid-19, systemic racism, gun violence, climate change, and the continual threat of raging fires?

For a few brief moments when the light hits the water and temporarily lifts the weight of the world off our shoulders, the summer sounds of the Beach Boys spin in our head as we “catch a wave and sit on top of the world.”

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork:

Website: www.jeffmkey.com

Blog: https://jeffmkey-art-blogspot.com

Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155

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

They emerged from a swamp—lost in the belief that the world as they knew it was slipping through their fingers.

They marched into the Capitol dressed as shamans with horns, faces painted like America flags, armed with automatic weapons, chemical spray, clubs, and shields while chanting, “Stop the Steal,” and threatening to kill our elected legislators.

Standing right behind them, as incredulous as it might seem, were members of the House and Senate, and propping them up was the biggest fool of them all—an orange-haired buffoon spilling lies and drumming up fear.

How did America, the pillar of the free world, become the land of collective delusion and bad dreams?

America has a history of following hucksters: from supernatural religious leaders, to conspiracy theorists, and now social media truth benders.

QAnon, a cabal of conspiracy theorists that the FBI has listed as a domestic terrorism threat, now boasts two members of Congress—Lauren Boebert (R-CO) who vows to "carry my Glock to Congress," and Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) who believes that the California fires were started by PG&E using a space laser in order to clear room for a high-speed rail project.

No—the Covid-19 Pandemic was not a politically motivated hoax, 5G wireless broadband does not spread the virus, and Covid 19-vaccines do not harbor microchips that can monitor your actions.

Yes—Climate change is real, systemic racism is real, universal health care is a human right, and voting is a basic democratic right.

April Fools Day is over—it’s time to wake up—question what we see, hear, and read—and stop the disconnect from truth and reality.

To see more of Jeff Key's artwork check out:
Sculpturesite Gallery: https://sculpturesite.com/exhibit/155
My Blog:   https://jeffmkey-art.blogspot.com/

My work can be also seen at my Website: http://www.jeffmkey.com/
and Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jeffmkey/