In creating marquetry sculpture, Tunberg calls upon his lifelong love of assemblage and classical drawing. Tunberg's materials are exotic natural and dyed veneers that he fragments, assembles, and reassembles, and ultimately laminates over complex sculptural forms of his own devising. Tunberg considers the resulting imagery as personal narratives expressed in his own language and mode of communication.

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. In the early 19th century, however, marquetry was put aside for the most part as a very expensive mode of ornamentation.

Except for its logistical complexities, Tunberg's use of this classical technique has little in common with traditional marquetry, as traditional marquetry uses floral designs and natural scenes as decorative motifs. Bypassing all traditional applications, Tunberg concentrates on fragmenting imagery and arranging the imagery into surreal combinations and juxtapositions to create a dialog of irrational reality.

Tunberg has been creating marquetry sculpture for over 20 years. He pioneered the use of marquetry in abstract expressionism, creating a powerful new art form.  Though the process demands precision and focus, and is fraught with difficulty and frustration, the results are worth all the effort. Marquetry is unrivaled for sheer beauty and visual drama.

Click an image for details and additional views. The size and dimensionality of Tunberg's sculpture are difficult to capture in photographs.