Wayne Thiebaud (American) ~ Art and Bio # 1

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Wayne Thiebaud (b. 1920)
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Biographical Text from Metro Art Work:

Wayne Thiebaud is an American painter whose most famous works are of cakes, pastries, toys and lipsticks. His last name is pronounced "Tee-bo."

Sausalito, 1954
Watercolor and Pencil
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He is associated with the Pop art movement because of his interest in objects of mass culture, however, his works, executed during the fifties and sixties, slightly predate the works of the classic pop artists. He has also been seen, due to his true to life representations, as a predecessor to Photorealism.

“Pies, Pies, Pies” (1961)

Oil on Canvas

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Thiebaud uses heavy pigment and exaggerated colors to depict his subjects, and the well-defined shadows characteristic of advertisements are almost always included in his work. 

Delicatessen Trays, 1961 

Oil on Canvas  [Source]

Thiebaud was born to Mormon parents on November 23, 1920 in Mesa, Arizona, U.S.A.

Desserts, 1962

Oil on Canvas
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His family moved to Long Beach, California when he was six months old. Thiebaud spent over ten years working in New York and Hollywood as a cartoonist and advertisement designer.

Delicatessen Counter, 1962
Oil on Canvas   
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These stints were interrupted for four years, from 1942 to 1946, while Thiebaud served as a member of the United States Army Air Force. Wayne Thiebaud's formal art training was paid for by the G.I. Bill.

Cake Counter, 1963
Oil on Canvas 
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He studied at San Jose State College and the California State University, Sacramento. 

 
Pie Counter, 1963
Oil on Canvas
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He received a teaching appointment at Sacramento Junior College in 1951, while still in graduate school. He remained there for eight years after which he joined the University of California, Davis as an art professor, where he is a professor today.  He currently (2007) teaches one class per year.

 

Yo-yos, 1963
Oil on Canvas
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Thiebaud's first solo exhibition was at the Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento, and between the years of 1954 and 1957, he produced eleven educational films for which he was awarded the Scholastic Art Prize in 1961.

Cake Slices, 1963
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In the spring of 1962, Thiebaud exhibited for the first time at the Allan Stone Gallery in New York. 

Banana Splits from Delights Portfolio, 1964

 Etching
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This exhibition was followed by his first solo museum show - in San Francisco at the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum. 

Four Ice Cream Cones, 1964
Oil on Canvas
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Today, Thiebaud's art dealer continues to be Allan Stone (1932-2006), the man who gave him his first "break" decades ago. The Allan Stone Gallery is currently located in New York City.

Lemon Meringue Pie, 1964
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Later that year he was included in the landmark group exhibition, New Realists, at the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York.

Lunch Table, 1964
Oil on canvas
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Thiebaud is best known for his paintings of production line objects found in diners and cafeterias, such as pies and pastries.

Suckers, 1967

Lithograph 

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Many wonder if he spent time working in the food industry, and in fact he did. As a young man in Long Beach, he worked at a cafe named Mile High and Red Hot, where "Mile High" was ice cream and "Red Hot" was a hot dog.

Half Cakes, 1970

From Seven Still Lifes and a Silver Landscape Portfolio

Black & White Silkscreen
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Gumball Machine, 1971
Linoleum Cut
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He was associated with the Pop art painters because of his interest in objects of mass culture, however, his works, executed during the fifties and sixties, slightly predate the works of the classic pop artists, suggesting that Thiebaud may have had a great influence on the movement.

Large Sucker, 1971
From Seven Still Lifes and a Silver Landscape portfolio
Color Lithograph
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Thiebaud uses heavy pigment and exaggerated colors to depict his subjects, and the well-defined shadows characteristic of advertisements are almost always included in his work.

Cake Slice, 1979
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In addition to pastries, Thiebaud has painted landscapes, streetscapes, and popular characters such as Mickey Mouse.

Daffodil, 1979

 Soft ground etching and aquatint 

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His recent paintings such as 'Sunset Streets' (1985) and 'Flatland River' (1997) are noted for their hyper realism, and are in some ways similar to Edward Hopper's work, who was fascinated with mundane scenes from everyday American life.

Boxed Balls, 1979
From Recent Etchings II Portfolio

  Aquatint and Drypoint Etching
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Thiebaud includes Giorgio Morandi as one of his inspirations. He also admires the work of Vermeer, Diego Velasquez, Degas and lots of other talented artists.