Description
Canadian/British artist David Gerry Partridge
Nails on panel
Signed, titled, dated 1967/8 and numbered 2/4
67 x 21 x 8cm
About The Artist: David Gerry Partridge
Though born in Akron, Ohio in 1919, artist David Gerry Partridge lived and worked in Canada and UK until his death in 2006. In England for much of his early life (1928-1935), he returned to Canada prior to WWII. During the war he served as a flying instructor in the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was at the end of the Second World War that he began his life and work as an artist.
While Partridge worked in mediums including paint and printmaking, he is best known for his ‘naillies’. In the late 1950s, Partridge developed his iconic ‘naillies’ style. In short, this meant hammering nails into a piece of plywood:
To create them, he would begin with a piece of plywood, although he was known to use doors, beams and other surfaces, which he sometimes covered in buffed or abraded aluminium. Then he would hammer in nails of all sorts (aluminium, copper and steel) and lengths, beginning with the shortest to create a ‘relief sculpture.’ According to his fancy, he polished or trimmed the hammered nailheads, wrapped the Naillie in duct tape to give the surface more texture and lacquered or painted portions of the finished work.
Throughout the 1960s, he created for naillies for private and public commissions. To this day, this innovative sculptural style is his hallmark.
Why Buy Artist David Gerry Partridge
David Gerry Partridge was a significant artist of the mid-twentieth century. His naillie’s are unmistakeable. As an important artist in both Canada and the UK, his work remains collectable. This is clear from the many private, corporate and public collections featuring his work. For example, he is included in collections at the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Tate (London), the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, The Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and more. Moreover, you can see his public installations around the world. For instance, in Toronto, London, Beirut and elsewhere. Finally, visit Toronto City Hall to see his most impressive work, ‘Metropolis’. Spanning 7’6″ x 32′, ‘Metropolis’s scope and beauty is stunning. Created from more than 100,000 common nails, this piece includes 9 panels each weighing at least 180kg. Considered a reflection on great cities, ‘Metropolis’ is Partridge’s most well-known work.
Photo credit to daveynin
Go here to watch a clip from an old-fashioned documentary on his work
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