Wayne Thiebaud

Exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler, Basel, 29 January - 21 May 2023

Associated with the American Pop Art movement, Wayne Thiebaud (1920 -2021) began his career as a draughtsman and graphic artist, working briefly for Walt Disney Studios. His still lifes attracted national attention in the landmark 1962 exhibition New Paintings of Common Objects, which also featured Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Ed Ruscha.

Thiebaud's candy-coloured still lifes reflect the promise and abundance of the American way of life - a society of plenty, where supply exceeds demand. The tactile impression created by his layers of pasty paint brings the objects to life and creates an atmosphere in which irony and melancholy are carefully balanced.

This catalogue presents all aspects of the American artist's work, including still lifes and portraits, as well as his desolate, multi-perspective city and river landscapes, in luminous pastels that exude a distinctive summertime sadness.