Jon Key, Man in the Violet Dreamscape No. 5, 2023; Hand-Embellished, Signed, and Numbered Limited Edition Print

Jon Key is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of design, painting and writing. Born in Alabama and currently based in New York, the artist excavates the lineage and history of his identity through four themes: Southern-ness, Blackness, queerness and family. Within his work, the colors green, black, violet and red stand in as foundational pillars for portrayals drawn from both graphic design and personal memory. In addition to being selected for Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Art and Style list in 2020 and having served as the Frank Staton Chair in Graphic Design at Cooper Union from 2018 to 2019, Key has presented work at venues such as Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate; Steve Turner, Los Angeles and New York; Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, New York; and Rubber Factory, New York. Drawing from an early series of work on paper, Man in the Violet Dreamscape No. 5 depicts a figure seated in a verdant outdoor setting. Key imagined his subject venturing out into an environment intended for r