Plate
Item
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Title
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Plate
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Creator
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Mark Gulsrud
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Description
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Raku-fired ceramic plate in varying colors of black, red, gold, and yellow. Appears to have a hand-sketched figure in center. Fold on top left edge of piece.
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Category of Media
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ceramic plate
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Media
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ceramic
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Accession Number
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1977.025
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Acquisition Method
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Purchase
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Dimensions of Work
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11" x 11" x 2.5"
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Artist Bio
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Tacoma-based artist Mark Gulsrud’s work designing stained glass spans nearly four decades. He has designed windows for more than 300 churches across the country and in western Europe, nearly 200 of which have been for ELCA congregations.
Gulsrud grew up in Santa Monica, Calif., with nearby Hollywood fostering dreams of becoming an animator. As a child he drew constantly, then gradually got into painting. After graduating from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Gulsrud worked in Holland creating ceramics and sculptures.
He eventually moved back to Los Angeles to work as a mixed media artist. In 1980 a pastor from his childhood congregation asked him if he could turn some of his paintings into stained-glass windows.
While he never had formal training in stained glass, Gulsrud learned the craft hands-on through artist connections. Word of his talents spread quickly through Lutheran circles, and the work soon became reliable income.
Gulsrud doesn’t depict biblical scenes in his stained glass, instead using a more abstract style that leaves interpretation up to the viewer. Drawing on themes of creation and light as God’s presence, his work aims to create a unified, prayerful mood throughout a church.
Over the years, he has created stained glass for skyscrapers and other glass-based art for a variety of buildings. But the significance of the work he does in sanctuaries is never lost on him. “Liturgical work is what’s fulfilling to me,” he said. “I just feel like it really enhances people’s lives. It has a strong impact on them, especially in … worship and healing and personal growth.”
Source: https://www.livinglutheran.org/2018/06/divine-inspiration/
Artist website: https://mark-gulsrud.squarespace.com/
