David G. Partridge
David G. Partridge (1919–2006) was an American-Canadian painter, etcher, sculptor, and teacher from Akron, Ohio. Partridge was best known for his abstract sculptures called Nailies, comprised of plywood panels covered with of nails jutting out at various heights.
Partridge was born in Akron, Ohio but was raised in England from 1928 to 1935. At the age of sixteen, Partridge and his family migrated to Canada. Partidge attended high school at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario before receiving his Bachelor of Arts in History, Geology and English from the University of Toronto. After graduation, Partridge joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was a flying instructor until the end of World War II. In 1994, Partridge was naturalized as a Canadian citizen.
Partridge's works have been acquired nationally and internationally. His work is found in collections including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, among others. One of Partridge’s major commissions is Metropolis, 1977, which can be found at the entrance of Toronto City Hall and consists of nine panels of over 100,000 nails.