Passionate Printmaker

The Unknown Thiebald

Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Ongoing – March 8

     Sebastopol has long had a special connection to Wayne Thiebaud. We all know that Thiebaud’s main haunt was Building B9 at UC Davis’ Art Department. His second home was in Sacramento. While, as a member of the California Funk Art Movement, he also claimed an outpost in San Francisco. Still, Sebastopol, near the Coast and with its arts vibe, was a friendly hangout for Thiebaud and his colleagues. So, it’s no surprise that SebArts would launch their own special exhibition of Thiebaud works a year after the smash show at the Legion of Honor.

There are many sides to Thiebaud. Having received his due as an oil painter last year, there is still plenty to explore in the works of this amazing artist. SebArts chooses to focus on Thiebaud, the Printmaker.

     This is no tag-along event. Rather, the exhibition is a stand-alone, significant experience. For even a minor fan of Thiebaud’s work, the show is well worth the drive, unveiling the unknown side of a beloved artist and unlocking treasures from his private circle.

PRINTMAKING

     Thiebaud had a life-long passion for printmaking – his first print was made on pieces of linoleum he ran through the wringer of his mother’s old washing machine!  He continued making prints until well into his 90s.  This exhibition spans six decades and highlights both Thiebaud’s use of common themes / subject matter, while spotlighting the artist’s unusual working method.  

     Beginning with simple household tools, we journey through Thiebaud’s remarkable printmaking range, including a significant body of work in aquatint, woodcut, etching, lithography and screenprint. From these prints we can glimpse inside the artist’s mind as he explores line, color and form. Yet, the works are far more than preparatory sketches. These prints are the result of the same precision and imagination as his famous paintings, often using proofs and hand-coloring to investigate his subjects' endless variations.

     His prints were integral to his artistic process, revealing a continuous search for understanding composition and the transformation of images. His lifetime of printmaking eventually expanded into sophisticated collaborations with publishers like Crown Point Press in San Francisco. For more on that relationship, see, Special Programming below.

     This part of his oeuvre is often overshadowed by his iconic paintings. While the show certainly includes common Thiebaud subjects like cakes, figures and landscapes, by focusing on how he chose printmaking in his study of those objects, it emphasizes the artist’s unique techniques like "object transference" and colorful shadows. Printmaking wasn't mere preparation for his paintings, but rather, a core part of his "constant search" and creative output, often complementing his paintings.

     As a new student of art or a life-long learner, this installation is a chance to take a class from Professor Thiebaud at UC Davis. With these prints, Thiebaud emphasizes the importance of edges, negative space and contours; explores light by using rich, saturated hues; offers a special seminar on using black ink on white paper (sometimes with hand-coloring) and underscores Thiebaud’s philosophy – the continual reworking of familiar images, because art is never truly complete. 

     Need another reason to go? The exhibition features intimate pieces and prints from his personal collection, offering a new perspective on his versatility.

 Prints as stand alone artworks, as well as, studies for his Park Place.

THE SETTING

     The intimate space at SebArts is the ideal environment to showcase Thiebaud’s lesser-known prints, including cityscapes and still lifes, while highlighting his unique techniques. It offers a rare public look at the artist’s passions that far-exceed his famous cakes and gum balls. This installation emphasizes Thiebaud’s masterful printmaking (etchings, lithographs, linocuts) and how printmaking allows us to uncover a deeper, more versatile side of the beloved Northern California artist

     In addition, the exhibition will highlight Thiebaud’s extraordinary relationship with his New York gallerist, Allan Stone.  Stone gave Thiebaud his first major exhibition and continued to represent him for over 45 years, one of the legendary, most long-lasting relationships in the art world.

Thiebaud Special Programming includes: 

PRINTMAKING: COPPER DRYPOINT & MONOTYPE TECHNIQUES

January 31 – February 1; 10:00am-2:30pm $335
     A two-session, hands-on workshop that introduces the art and technique of copper plate drypoint and water-based monotype printmaking.

PRINTING WITH WAYNE!

PANEL DISCUSSION WITH MASTER PRINTERS AND EXHIBITION CURATOR

February 8; 1:00-3:00pm

     A moderated panel discussion with Emily York and Courtney Sennish, two Master Printers who worked extensively with Wayne Thiebaud at Crown Point Press. 

FILM SCREENING:

THE COLLECTOR

February 28; 3:00-5:00pm

Join the Director, Olympia Stone, as she explores the 46-year career of Allan Stone, the famed New York City gallery owner and art collector. Stone was the gallerist to Wayne Thiebaud for more than 40 years, an extraordinary relationship in the world of art.

For more information on this exhibition, click here.