Wayne Thiebaud (American, 1920-2021)
One of the most prominent of the Bay Area painters in California during the latter part of the 20th Century, Thiebaud was beloved for his paintings of pies, pastries, candies, and other food that look as though they are on a production line in a diner or cafeteria. He worked as a graphic artist and cartoonist before starting his painting career, and interestingly, also worked in food production. He also painted landscapes, streetscapes, and other everyday items and thus has been closely associated with the Pop Art movement along with Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and others. Most of his life was spent in the Bay area in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Davis, where he was an influential teacher for many years. Though he adhered to realism he chose heavy pigments, exaggerated neon-like colors, and well-defined shadows, all of which lent a somewhat playful edge to his work as his pigments often appear to be spread like cake frosting onto his canvas. He was also a seasoned printmaker and produced lithographs at Crown Point Press and Parasol Press. His works are in important public and private collections worldwide including the Hirshhorn Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The National Gallery of Art, the Whitney Museum, Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Modern, and many others.
