Wayne Thiebaud (b. 1920)

Wayne Thiebaud approached each work as a balance of form and composition, looking to realize the subject fully within a particular thematic context, as well as within formal consideration of color and shape. The rich surfaces exemplified within Bow Tie, Pick and Shoe embody Thiebaud’s art, in particular his command of his materials to create these vibrantly textured explorations. His expert handling of the brightly colored pastels allows for the successful modeling of each object; the lone shoe of teal velveteen which points towards the expertly weighted form of the pointed pick and its mate, a voluminous multi-colored bow tie.
 
Here, Thiebaud's subjects are seemingly strewn across a flat surface, their placement commanding the illusion of arbitrariness. Each item is precisely arranged however, articulately positioned as a singular object, whilst simultaneously forming a coordinated scene within the painting. The formal focus of the object and the unity of the overall work combined was of great significance to Thiebaud; he noted, “I began to be interested in a formal approach to composition…at that point [I] began to rework paintings into much more clearly defined objects. I tried to see if I could get an object to sit on a plane and really be very clear about it. I picked things…based upon simple shapes like triangles and circles—and tried to orchestrate them” (W. Thiebaud, quoted in S. Nash, Wayne Thiebaud: A Painting Retrospective, exh. cat., Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 2000, p. 15).