Jeffdoe : The work of Jeff Toll

“If you make it look like art, then it’s probably somebody elses”

- Wayne Thiebaud

I was first introduced to the art of Sacramento’s own, Wayne Thiebaud ”Tee-bo” in 2002 while viewing his gallery showcase at CSUS. Little did I know at the time I was also a distant cousin of his (3rd).

Wayne Thiebaud earned a degree from Sacramento State College in 1941. From 1938 to 1949, he worked as a cartoonist and designer in California and New York and served as an artist in the United States Army Air Force.

In 1950, at the age of thirty, he enrolled in Sacramento State College where he earned a Master’s Degree in 1952 and began teaching at Sacramento City College. In 1960, he became assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, where he remained through the 1970s and influenced numerous art students.

Wayne’s most famous works are of cakes, pastries, boots, toilets, toys and lipstick. He is “thought” to be 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. I say “thought” because after learning from the interview posted below Wayne doesn’t like the idea of being associated with the term and feels it was only by couincidence that his art had such similarities. 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. There’s also a ton of books about him and his work.

An Interview with Wayne Thiebaud

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My ear was glued to this interview. It’s refreshingly humble, poignant, charasimatic, comical and truly inspiring. His thoughts of “intuition vs. thinking by design” are inspiring as well. Whether you’re an artist or not, you gotta take a listen; no bullshiting here.

Some of my favorite Wayne Thiebaud pieces:

View More of Wayne Thiebaud’s work here

16 Comments, Comment or Ping

Tony Pett

Great post. I also had the privilege of meeting Wayne while I was a student at St. Mary’s College of California, class of 92. He was a friend of my professor, Roy Schmaltz. Wayne happened to be in the studio one day exchanging something with my professor. I was extremely happy I was in there working on some projects that day. At the time I didn’t realize that I was meeting such an icon of our time.

Feb 9th, 2009
Jeffdoe

“At the time I didn’t realize that I was meeting such an icon of our time.”

- Totally! The first time I viewed an exhibit of his back in 2002 I had no idea either how amazing he really was. I would love to see another exhibit of his. Thanks for stopping by Tony!

Feb 9th, 2009
Joe Morris

I got the opportunity to see a retrospective of Thiebaud’s work at the Whitney a few years back and I was blown away. What made the show so amazing was that he could build up the edges using colors with simultaneous contrast. It truly draws you in.

Thanks for including the interview.

Feb 10th, 2009
Jeffdoe

I’ve got my eyes peeled for a new exhibit somewhere here in Northern California, but no luck so far. Utah has been the closest I could find. If you happen to know or hear about one in the area please let me know Joe.

Thanks for the comment.

Feb 11th, 2009
Noel

I was wondering if you knew about the Wayne Thiebaud exhibition at San Jose Museum of Art Feb 16 to July 4?

Mar 24th, 2010
Jeffdoe

Whoa! I did not know. Thanks for the heads up Noel. Checking out the San Jose Museum of Art site now.

Mar 29th, 2010
Sarah

I was wondering why you didn’t post the names and dates of the pieces. I love the intensity of the neutral pallets along with the punches of primary colors. This was truly helpful for pictures for a project of mine! Thanks!

Apr 8th, 2010
Jeff

Sarah,

I’m glad this post was able to help you out with your project. As far as not labeling the pieces, that probably would had been a good idea on my part. I’ve taken note, thanks.

Apr 11th, 2010
Irene

You must be thrilled about the retrospective at the Crocker. I’ve only now discovered his work, thanks to the NYT article this past weekend. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do and your site has helped. Thank you!

Oct 6th, 2010
Jeff

Irene,
Great to hear Irene! Have fun exploring his work, it’s amazing!

Oct 17th, 2010

Jeffdoe : The work of Jeff Toll - Mar 29th, 2009
Post test 1 - simonnicholls.info - Apr 3rd, 2009
Post test 2 - simonnicholls.info - Apr 3rd, 2009
Post test 3 | simonnicholls.info - Apr 5th, 2009
Jeffdoe : The work of Jeff Toll - May 3rd, 2009
Wayne Thiebauld | Clifton Burt - Jun 18th, 2009

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