The Artists

Jonathan West — Francis Scott's Key

Francis Scott's Key

Francis Scott's Key Jonathan West was raised in Bel Air, Maryland and received his B.F.A. in 1980 from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minnesota. Jonathan was one of a core group of contributors to ARTPOLICE, a quarterly collective art zine published in Minneapolis, from 1980 - 1993. He lived and worked in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York from 1984 - 1990, where he developed an expressionistic abstract painting style. This work culminated with a solo exhibit at Galley David on Broadway in Manhattan in 1990.

About his current work, Jonathan says "Communication and awareness is of the utmost importance to the artist today. Advances in technology have placed news of world events in our homes and studios within minutes. In my case, these events spur an empathic reaction to the world's tragedies, both natural and contrived, and reveal mankind's inhumanity towards one another. I seek to define this reaction in cathartic, expressionistic notations that reflect on life and the finality of death - presenting situations that are tragic, yet poignant and beautiful." This key is named after Francis Scott Key, who wrote the Star Spangled Banner and is buried in Frederick. This key represents his inspiration.