William Tunberg (born August 15, 1936, in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) is an American artist specializing in
marquetry, sculpture, drawing and
assemblage (art)
Assemblage is an artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate that consists of three-dimensional elements projecting out of or from the substrate. It is similar to collage, a two-dimensional medium. It is part of the visual ar ...
. He lives and works in
Venice, California.
Early life
Tunberg was born in Los Angeles on August 15, 1936, to a family of writers. His father, also named
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, was a movie, radio, television and short story writer, writing such films and television series as ''
Old Yeller'', ''
Savage Sam'', ''
Garden of Evil
''Garden of Evil'' is a 1954 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Henry Hathaway, about three somewhat disreputable 19th-century soldiers of fortune, played by Gary Cooper as an ex-lawman, Richard Widmark as a gambler, and Cameron M ...
'', ''
War Paint'', ''
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', ''
The Wild Wild West
''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...
'', and ''
The Monroes''. Tunberg's uncle,
Karl Tunberg
Karl Tunberg (March 11, 1907 − April 3, 1992) was an American screenwriter and occasional film producer. His screenplays for ''Tall, Dark and Handsome'' (1941) and '' Ben-Hur'' (1959) were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original S ...
, was a prolific screenplay writer, his most notable work being ''
Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to:
Fiction
*'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace
** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899
** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...
''.
Tunberg obtained college scholarships and fellowships from the
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...
,
University of the South (Sewanee), and
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC), where he received his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in architecture in 1963 and his
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.)
is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...
in sculpture in 1965. In 1964, Tunberg won the USC Stanley Jameson Award for most promising artist. In 1965, Tunberg won the First Award, Graphics, Professional for his "Wintergarden IX" drawing in the All California Art in Cross-Section Exhibit, juried by George D. Culler, Director of the
San Francisco Museum of Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary a ...
, and Kenneth Donahue, deputy director of the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
.
[June 14, 1965 Award Letter. 1965 All California Art in Cross-Section Exhibition.]
After graduating from USC in 1965, Tunberg established his studio in
Venice, California.
Career
During the 1960s, Tunberg focused on drawing and
assemblage. Influenced by
Cliff Westerman,
Joseph Cornell and
Ed Kienholz
Edward Ralph Kienholz (October 23, 1927 – June 10, 1994) was an American Installation art, installation artist and assemblage (art), assemblage sculpture, sculptor whose work was highly critical of aspects of modern life. From 1972 onwards, he ...
, Tunberg saw assemblage as the natural
three-dimensional
Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called ''parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the informal ...
extension of
surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
. Using wood, metals, fiberglass, cast plaster, carvings of body parts and found objects, Tunberg encased his narratives in
acrylic
Acrylic may refer to:
Chemicals and materials
* Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound
* Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity
* Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...
boxes. Tunberg's assemblage ''Neoclassical Drawing Trap'' was selected for inclusion in the ''Annual of American Sculpture'' by the
Whitney Museum and featured in ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
''
[February 28, 1969. "New Trends in Art". Time, pp. 70-71.] and ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
''.
["Portrait of the Artist as a Wet Hen". Pictured Essay. April 1970. Esquire, pp. 134-139.]
In 1977, Tunberg was a recipient of the
California Arts Commission Award, "Eyes and Ears Foundation Grant", to design and produce art to be exhibited on a
billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
. Tunberg's ''Pat Tap'' was exhibited on
Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California
["Your Message Here: An Incomplete History of Billboards". February 14, 1977. New West. Copyright 1977 by NYM Corp.] and referred to in the book ''Megamurals & Supergraphics: Big Art''.
[Greenberg, David. "Megamurals & Supergraphics: Big Art". Environmental Communications, published by Running Press, 1977.] During the 1970s, Tunberg's assemblages were encased in boxes painted in high gloss metal-flake, to invite the viewer into the inner workings and tough narratives of his artwork.
During the 1980s, Tunberg began creating furniture and doors. His furniture is made of exotic hardwoods and inlays and his doors are covered in marquetry cut from wood veneer. In 1987, the
72 Market Street Oyster Bar and Grill in Venice commissioned Tunberg to create an inlaid sculptural railing that spanned the entire interior of the restaurant.
[Bonwitt, Eric. "The Art of the Craftsman and Thoughts of Leisure: Bill Tunberg at 72 Market Street". January 20, 1989. Santa Monica News, pp. 14-15.] In 1989, the Maple Drive Restaurant in Beverly Hills commissioned Tunberg to create 52 one-of-a-kind inlaid sculptural tables and booths and a combination marquetry piano/room dividing screen. As a result of Tunberg's work for Maple Drive, he was awarded the 1990 Annual Design Award, Furniture Designer of the Year, by ''Angeles'' magazine.
[Jaffe, Joanne. "The First Annual Design Awards". June 1990. Angeles Magazine.]
In 1991, Tunberg won the Veteran's Memorial Competition of the City of
Santa Monica for his memorial design ''Promises Kept'', which was to be installed in
Palisades Park. The design consisted of a locked and barred door surrounded by a fence; a window set in the door contained an eternal flame. Tunberg stated that "I want people to see the monument, and say, 'Whoa, that is heavy!' . . . My idea was to express my true feelings, an honest assessment of what the veteran has done for the country." Selected by a city-appointed panel of three jurors from a field of eleven proposals, Tunberg's design was reproduced as a model and placed on public display. Juror Woods Davy, a sculptor, described the proposal as being the one "that had the most feeling to it', and fellow juror Thomas Rhoads, director of the Santa Monica Museum of Art, regarded it as "the most interesting and . . . thought-provoking of all the proposals". Described by former City Councilwoman Christine Reed as "that jail-door thing", the design caused a political firestorm in the Santa Monica City Council, despite support from panelists and after much uproar, the memorial was abandoned. 1993 brought Tunberg's first religious commission.
Bel Air Church
Bel Air Church (also known as Bel Air Presbyterian Church) is a Presbyterian church located in Los Angeles, California. Its campus is located on Mulholland Drive in the Encino neighborhood.
History
The Bel Air Church was founded in 1956 in Los ...
in Los Angeles commissioned a inlaid hardwood cross. When the
1994 Northridge earthquake
The 1994 Northridge earthquake was a moment 6.7 (), blind thrust earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 4:30:55 a.m. PST in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles.
The quake had a duration of approximately ...
occurred, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported "The 300-pound cross, barely anchored to the floor, did not topple, nor was it touched by the water, though everything around it was ruined." In 1996, The Presbyterian Great Vision Church in Los Angeles commissioned an inlaid hardwood cross. In 1999,
Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Wilshire Boulevard Temple, known from 1862 to 1933 as Congregation B'nai B'rith, is the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, California. Wilshire Boulevard Temple's main building, with a sanctuary topped by a large Byzantine revival dome an ...
, Irmas Campus, Los Angeles, commissioned a sculptural
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an e ...
made of hardwood and marquetry.
In 2001, Tunberg covered the interior of
Roy's Hawaiian Restaurant in Rancho Bernardo, California with marquetry sculptures. In 2003,
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...
commissioned two marquetry sculptures to span the
VIP sections of two sister ships, ''Midnight Sun'' and ''North Star''. In 20042005, Tunberg was commissioned by
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
in
Orange, California
Orange is a city located in North Orange County, California. It is approximately north of the county seat, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before ...
to work with architect
David C. Martin
David C. Martin is an American architect and was previously a design principal of Los Angeles-based firm A.C. Martin Partners. Since joining the company in 1968, he has overseen the creation of Figueroa at Wilshire, formerly Sanwa Bank Plaza a ...
to create sculpture and furniture for Chapman's new Fish Interfaith Center.
[Cohen, Edie. "A Congregation of Talent". August 2005. Interior Design, pp. 186-193.][Cohen, Edie. "AC Martin Partners, Wallace All Faiths Chapel, City of Orange, California". Best of Year/Institutional. December 2006, Number 15. Interior Design, pp. 110-111.] Tunberg created the altar, lectern, and founders' chairs for the main worship space; the communion table, lectern, and a multi-faith standard with interchangeable tops for Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths; and sculpture and furniture for its executive offices.
In 2008,
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
commissioned an
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an e ...
to house a
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
that was hidden from the
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
and smuggled to safety during World War II. Chapman University and the ''
Orange County Register
''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
'' described Tunberg as "...one of the world's foremost woodworking and marquetry artists."
["Evening of Holocaust Remembrance". Chapman University Digital Commons. April 17, 2008.] Also in 2008, the
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public land-grant research university in Riverside, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on in a suburban distr ...
, commissioned a sculptural wall for its new Alumni Center.
Sculpture and furniture commissions since 2010 include four interactive hardwood sculptures for
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
's Student Union, and sculptural marquetry showcases for an 1854 antique Bible and an 1833
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
.
Tunberg has exhibited drawings and sculpture at the
Whitney Museum,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
,
Orange County Museum of Art,
Santa Monica Museum of Art
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA), formerly known as the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA), is a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, CA. As an independent and non-collecting art museum (or kunsthalle), it exhibits the ...
,
Portland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest art museums on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the US. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum becam ...
,
Bishop Museum
The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the lar ...
, and
Craft and Folk Art Museum. Tunberg has exhibited at
Marlborough Chelsea,
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduate ...
, UCLA Wight Gallery,
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
,
California College of the Arts,
[Albright, Thomas. "A Fascinating Show of Hands". September 18, 1970. San Francisco Chronicle, p. 64.] American Jewish University,
University of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private university headquartered in Redlands, California. The university's main, residential campus is situated on 160 acres (65 ha) near downtown Redlands. An additional eight regional locations throughout Califo ...
,
Caltech
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
, Pasadena,
Otis
Otis may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media
** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl''
* Otis (The Walking Dead), Otis (''The Walking Dead' ...
,
Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art
The Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA) was an exhibition venue for visual arts that ran between 1974 and 1987 (approximately) in Los Angeles, California. It played an important role in showing experimental work of the era as well as ...
, and Robert Berman Gallery. Works by Tunberg are in the collections of the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
, Asher Collection,
[Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 1984 Catalog Vol. 22/No. 7. July 1984. 4.] and
São Paulo Museum of Modern Art
The São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, (Portuguese: Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, or MAM), is located in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo.
Founded by Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho and Yolanda Penteado, and built in 1948, the museum is modelled on ...
.
References
Further reading
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*
*'' Mississippi Mud'', Winter 1980, Cover Illustration
*
*''Mississippi Mud'', c. November 1989: Cover and three interior illustrations pp. 26, 32, 33.
*
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*
Art International, April 1972
*
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External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunberg, William
Living people
1936 births
20th-century American sculptors
People from Venice, Los Angeles
American graphic designers
University of Southern California alumni
21st-century American sculptors