Art Analysis

 

Wayne Thiebaud (American, 1920–2021), Pies, Pies, Pies, 1961. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Philip L. Ehlert in memory of Dorothy Evelyn Ehlert, 1974.12. © Wayne Thiebaud / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

Food is a complicated subject, and any subject with any level of complexity can make for a great art focus. Food in art is never just food; sometimes it represents flourishing, other times a struggle. Wayne Thiebaud is well known for his textured food paintings (Whitney.org). He creates physical texture in his art through thick layers of paint. The strokes rise off the canvas. I have seen some of his works in person, and the raised texture he gives his pies and cakes is a distinct part of his style. Looking through his works can make one wonder why he has chosen food as a subject so Frequently. I have always felt his paintings have a bittersweet emotion about them. Thiebaud has often chosen to depict cakes, pastries, and everyday objects. His paintings have secured him an association with Pop Art. 

The displayed piece is Pies, Pies, Pies painted in 1961 by Thiebaud. He taught art at the University of California, Davis from the early 60s to the mid-70s, meaning he may have been in Davis when he created this (Britannica.com). When I look at this painting, I see that, like many of his works, it depicts both “plenty and loss” (TheArtStory.org). The slices are laid out in a repeating pattern, and each row is a different type of pie. Despite the consistency of types within rows, each slice differs from the one before it. The tips of the slice dip down at varying angles in the leftmost row. The counter space the pies are laid out on is a simple off-white with blue pie shadows creating contrast throughout it. The contrast of tone here focuses attention on the shadow’s sources. The plain, empty setting juxtaposed with the rows of pies paints a strange picture: a melancholic one. The way Thiebaud plays with color and tone fascinates me in these pies. For example, the shadows being different tones of blue presents well. Additionally, the layering of similar or contrasting colors against each other presents in the pies themselves as a cakey characteristic. The thickness of the colors is so satisfying in his art. Pie is a dessert, a treat, something that elicits desire. It is also a food that tends to crumble due to the nature of having crust. It is typically a messy food, yet there is not a crumb to be found in this painting. The lack of crumbs and the emptiness of the counter space is a deliberate choice by Thiebaud. There is something unattainable about these plentiful desserts. 

During Thiebaud's life, he transitioned from “commercial to fine art" (TheArtStory.org). I think this movement contributed to the thoughtfulness present in his work rather than striking commentary. His repeated use of pies in paintings refers to pie as an important symbol in the American ideal. Another significant element of this painting is geometric shapes. Thiebaud is someone who was “intrigued by the geometry of their basic shapes” when painting commonplace items (MetMuseum.org). In this piece, some plates are circles, but towards the top of the painting, they are closer to ellipses. This change in the use of shape contributes to the perspective illustrated by placing the pies at the top, making them appear farther back to the naked eye. It is a good way of showing distance. The pies are composed of triangles or triangles and rectangles. The top section of the pie is triangular, and the view of the filling is triangular or rectangular depending on the pie. The end of the counter space is not level across the painting. Instead, it is uneven and angling down toward the right. At first glance, however, the counter looks like a realistic view, and I think this is due to the perspective achieved in that slight angle and the shadows that ground the pies.

Bibliography

Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/481764.

Thiebaud, Wayne. “Wayne Thiebaud: Pie Counter.” Wayne Thiebaud | Pie Counter | Whitney Museum             of American Art, https://whitney.org/collection/works/3042.

“Wayne Thiebaud Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/thiebaud-wayne/.

“Wayne Thiebaud.” Crocker Art Museum, https://www.crockerart.org/exhibitions/wayne-thiebaud.

“Wayne Thiebaud.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,                                                     https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wayne-Thiebaud.