Wayne Thiebaud at the Manetti Shrem Musuem, U.C. Davis, California.

Closing this weekend on May 13, 2018 at the Manetti Shrem Museum - is the early significant works of Wayne Thiebaud. His work is significant because despite the Pop-Art trend dominating  during the 1960's with Andy Warhol's use of screen printing for the soup cans and Roy Litchenstein's comic book quality paintings is when Wayne Thiebaud's paintings were given a test drive to be exhibited at the 1962  Armory Show at the Allen Stone Gallery, New York City. His 1962 show catapulted him to be an overnight success. 

The artwork presented below are the paintings from the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit at the Manetti Shrem. The expressive layering of oil paint that drive the paintings expressive quality is also colored carefully with color variations that create luster and and quality of illumination which define forms of his subjects. 

The painting below is using only essential details of light and shadows to express space and content. The semi intense blue cast shadow of the fish pushes form along with the brush strokes of the paint as it overlaps together carefully together. The cast shadow fades out to the tail at the end. Thiebaud's classical art training is evident here and how he couples flat geometric spaces with subtle color creates interesting composition of color and space which is largely indicative with majority of his still life's and landscapes. However in Thiebaud's exhibit at the Shrem you will see mostly figures and still life paintings. 

Special Note: These paintings dated in the 1960's are technical considered modern era in art history. Contemporary artwork is considered 1980-present. Since the artist is presently making paintings I put him my blog. 

Half Salmon, 1961, Oil on Canvas

Candy Counter, Era 1960's, Oil on Canvas

Pies, 1961, Oil on Canvas

Bakery Counter, 1962, Oil on Canvas

Installation detail view of painting with scale reference.

Bikini, 1964, Oil On Canvas