With Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021), the Fondation Beyeler devotes a retrospective to an exceptional contemporary painter. Largely unknown in Europe, Thiebaud has long been popular in the United States. Thiebaud’s works repay close attention. At first glance, one notes the motifs lifted from everyday life such as cake displays or slot machines; in this sense, Thiebaud was an exponent of pop art. Yet looking more closely, every motif dissolves into a wide spectrum of countless colours and shades, which only taken as a whole produce a recognisable image.
Thiebaud’s art thus centres less on subject matter than on the manner of painting. All his life, Thiebaud focussed mainly on three themes: things, people and landscapes. The exhibition showcases his oil and acrylic paintings as well as drawings. The boundaries between representation and abstraction are fluid: with his sophisticated use of colour, Thiebaud subjects all the elements in an image to a process of abstraction, generating a unique experience of colour.
The exhibition has been curated by Dr. Ulf Küster, Senior Curator at the Fondation Beyeler. Assistant Curator: Charlotte Sarrazin.
Wayne Thiebaud was born on 15 November 1920 in Mesa, Arizona (USA). He started out as a sign painter, graphic designer and cartoonist, among others at Walt Disney Studios. After graduating in fine arts in 1953, he taught drawing and painting first at Sacramento City College, then at the University of California in Davis. Thiebaud left his mark on generations of young artists. His most famous pupil was Bruce Nauman, who for a time also worked as his assistant. Next to his intense artistic practice, he was a passionate tennis player. Wayne Thiebaud at times lived and worked in San Francisco, but his life centred mainly in Sacramento, where he died on 25 December 2021.
Texts: Julia Beyer, Stefanie Bringezu, Victoria Gellner, Ulf Küster, Charlotte Sarrazin, Janine Schmutz
Editing: Stefanie Bringezu Translation: Maud Capelle Graphic design: Heinz Hiltbrunner
We look forward to receiving your feedback on the exhibition guide at: kunstvermittlung@fondationbeyeler.ch
Wayne Thiebaud
Catalogue of the 2023 exhibition
This catalogue presents all aspects of the legendary American artist’s oeuvre, including still lifes and portraits, as well as his deserted, multi-perspective cityscapes and river landscapes, in luminous pastels that exude a peculiar summertime sadness.
Details: 160 pages with 156 illustrations, Edition: Softcover, Size: 32 x 23.5 cm
CHF 62.50.–
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