Stepping down the natural wood staircase into William Tunberg’s studio, is like walking into a jig saw puzzle of small fragmented specialty studios that create the ultimate studio complex. In creating marquetry sculpture, Bill calls upon his lifelong love of assemblage and classical drawing. His materials are exotic natural and dyed veneers that he fragments, assembles, and reassembles, and ultimately laminates over complex sculptural forms. Each step of this process has it’s own space and each space it’s own use. Much like Bill’s fragmented and reassembled imagery, his studio forms an assemblage of his own making and is at the heart of the home he shares with is wife and the 11 year-old cat, Kitty. It is infused with whimsy and artistry. Cleaver touches of marquetry creates shadows of banisters on the natural wood staircase and coffee stains on the floor. Huge ink and pencil portraits peer down from high ceiling perches. This home was designed and built from a small Venice bungalow and still retains it’s charm and sunny disposition.
Bill’s contemporary technique has little in common with traditional marquetry. Historically, during the time of Louis XIV, marquetry was the most highly prized of all art forms. Marquetry was used almost exclusively as a decorative appliqué to furniture and functional objects of art. Traditional marquetry uses floral designs and natural scenes as decorative motifs. Bypassing all traditional applications, Bill concentrates on fragmenting imagery and arranging the imagery into surreal combinations.
In the 60’s, Bill began working for Ed Kienholz and became friends, who along with Westerman and Cornell introduced and inspired his love affair with assemblage that lasted for over three decades. His work is amazing and he also makes the BEST cup of coffee in California.
The Studio Tour 