With the Crossover Table, Markus Haase demonstrates his masterful ability to imbue wood and stone with an almost preternatural sense of fluidity and movement. Haase’s two decades of experience as a sculptor are evident in his masterful treatment of materials. Here, walnut and marble wrap around each other in a sweeping, interlocking gesture, as the rich color of wood contrasts with the elegant brightness of marble.
Haase’s sculptural pieces of furniture are works of art; his chairs, tables, sconces, and consoles grow from the ground as if animated waves or columns of smoke. As Todd Merrill explains, “Markus Haase is not making a piece of furniture that looks like art. He is a sculptor making art that serves functional ends.”
Haase’s inaugural furniture series is the result of years of sketching, sculpting, and pent-up creativity. Haase was formally educated and apprenticed as a stone sculptor in Germany. There, he developed his eye for organic forms and his virtuosity with diverse materials. By day, Haase used his sculpting skills to restore centuries-old Gothic cathedrals; by night, he employed the same skills to explore contemporary sculptural form. From architectural restoration to modernist sculpture, Haase brings a wide variety of techniques and perspectives to the first functional series of his career.