David Partridge RIP
We learned today with much sadness that David Partridge died on December 11.
David Partridge described himself as a painter who paints with nails - those "paintings" I've known for many years as "nailies". The one in the picture, Metropolis, at City Hall, was made with over 100,000 nails.
We knew David. He exhibited with us in a show called c.1996. David was a great guy. I liked him tremendously. His work was unique and personal and obsessive and magical. He followed his own path and he did so with great determination. The last time we saw David, along with his wife Tibs, was at the opening of an exhibition by David's long time friend, Ron Bloore.
I recall talking to David one day a few years back about flying. He loved to fly, and some years ago he made one of those mini-airplanes that he would fly around his cottage at Stoney Lake. He'd smile and say, oh, and I crashed it more than once, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world to make a plane, fly it around, crash it now and then....
RIP.
5 comments:
I remember the Tuffy P. & Mr. Anchovie introduced me to the king of NAILIES at a art opening-that introduction reminded me of one of his pieces that I saw on an earlier trip-what a great man!!!
STAGG
That's a very cool piece.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, Mr A. He sounds like a real character.
That is made of nails??
It is stunning.
What a loss to the art community.
Oh I was so sad to read this...he was a really lovely person and he was so focused on his vision.
My daughter loved his work, he might be one of her very favourite artists and when she met him for the first time at c1996, she told him so. she also told him how when she was little while we lived on campus she would take pennies and play with them in his artwork that was a public piece(in the library? so long ago I can't remember where it was) and drop them between the nails liek a pin ball machine. He was utterly delighted with her recollection.
Somehow he broke through so many genres and mediums with his art work...was it folk art? Was it like hobo art? Was it ironic? Was it gorgeous? Was it mystical? Was it taking materials and recreating them to his own vision. Yes, all of these things and more...and they were also chic sexy piences elegant, shocking when you got close to them and saw they were made out of nails!
I really had a cry when I read this. He was an inspiration and it hurts to see the world wih one less magical soul in it.
Post a Comment