Arrangement No. 4 (Urban Pyramid) c. 1936 - 1942

Roi Partridge created "Arrangement No. 4 (Urban Pyramid)" using etching, a technique that incises lines onto a metal plate to hold ink. The monochromatic palette gives the building a timeless, monumental quality. Notice how Partridge uses the linear quality of the etching to construct the architectural forms, lending a sharp, angular feel. The composition emphasizes geometric structures, echoing the industrial age's fascination with form and function. The skewed perspective and dynamic lines disrupt traditional notions of space, challenging the viewer’s perception and creating an unsettling yet intriguing visual experience. This work explores the semiotics of urban architecture. The building, a signifier of civic authority, is destabilized through the artist's manipulation of perspective and line, revealing the constructed nature of meaning itself. Partridge invites us to question established values, engaging with broader philosophical concerns about representation and reality.