Wayne Thiebaud Student Analysis

Wayne Thiebaud’s Student is a masterpiece in storytelling. It shares many of the stylistic elements the still lifes that brought him fam, but here they are used to deftly tell the narrative of a college student, midway through day, sleeves rolled up and attention on the viewer. Because Thiebaud himself is a teacher the painting takes on an autobiographical tone, the viewer is not looking at just any student, but a student from the perspective of the teacher. By breaking the conventions that create a realistic work such as linear perspective, Thiebaud creates a surreal picture. The off color and warped perspective detach the student from reality, and give the viewer a glimpse into Thiebaud's mind. The clock is past midday, and the student, through in college now, is old enough to graduate soon. Thiebaud has her attention, but not for much longer.
He modernized the style by painting cakes and pies, often in rows to show the beauty in mass production. While his painting Student breaks from his other work, it’s important to recognize how it fits into his work as a whole. His style is almost unchanged but the subject matter is very different. This is because Thiebaud paints what he knows, San francisco streets from when he lived in the city, and deltas when he lived there (Thiebaud) . These objects are fundamentally different than student however, because it’s a one way exchange. Teaching intrinsically a conversation. “It keeps you honest (Thiebaud)” Student is much more introspective than his other work, because not only was he was a student, as everyone is at some point, but also a teacher for 35