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Thomas Markusen
As one of the premier fine craft artists in the United
States, Thomas Markusen has established himself
using copper, brass, bronze and silver in a variety of
forms and concepts.
Markusen achieves the various colors in his work by
applying patinas--acid based solutions that change the
surface of the copper--as well as by applying heat in
varying duration and intensity.
The various patterned incisions, which can be seen
throughout Markusen's 700 Series, are created using a
tool called a plasma cutter. A plasma cutter is a type of
cutting torch which employs an electrically neutral, highly
ionized gas, composed of ions, electrons, and neutral
particles, allowing the artist to cut very fine designs in
the metal.
Markusen was commissioned to create a set of
raspberry patina candleholders for The White House
Collection of Contemporary Crafts. He has pieces in the
Vatican Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Crafts
in New York City, Wustum Museum in Racine, WI and
many private collections.
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