Two beloved Sacramento artists bring bold color to the Bay Area | Opinion
The lives and work of two beloved Sacramento artists, Gregory Kondos and Wayne Thiebaud, are being celebrated in the Bay Area at two recently opened exhibits that capture the timelessness of creations on canvas that remain relevant — maybe now more than ever.
During our current moment of political strife and unease, these once great friends and kindred spirits remind us that the joy and beauty in everyday objects can help us, perhaps momentarily, cope with the drone of cruelty and inhumanity dominating the news.
Though they died in 2021, Kondos at 97 and Thiebaud at 101, their legacies remain vivid in the beautiful, colorful pieces that continue to inspire and elicit hope. Kondos and Thiebaud immortalized the natural beauty of California — and of Sacramento. Both loved the San Joaquin Delta, the lush green farmlands, open spaces and terrain of Northern California that inspired both to build internationally renowned careers with Sacramento as a touchstone.
The pride of Sacramento
Right now, in a gallery in downtown San Francisco, a sketch of Thiebaud hangs on the wall. His eyes appear downcast. He is depicted wearing a large coat, a wide brim hat and circular glasses. The drawing is dated 1989 and was done by Thiebaud’s close friend and colleague, Kondos.
They taught art for many years at UC Davis and other local colleges. Although their styles are distinctly different, both artists use striking, bold lines of color in unconventional ways.
An unnaturally bright line of red gives the shape of a tree bold definition in Kondos’ “Napa Valley Home.” Neon hues of lime green and lemon yellow define the edges of white postcards in Thiebaud’s “35 Cent Masterworks.” A pop of red in a clump of trees, and a green-edged white piece of paper.
It’s odd. It shouldn’t work. And yet it does, to great effect.
Kondos’ contemporaries
At downtown San Francisco’s Caldwell Snyder Gallery, a collection of works from Kondos’ estate is on display until April 30. Ranging from small charcoal and pastel drawings to larger paintings, Kondos rarely strayed from his favorite subject matter, the natural world: flowers, landscapes, water and mountains.
Kondos found great inspiration in California’s bounty of natural wonders, including Yosemite’s Half Dome and the Sacramento River. “Hennessey Lake,” a large painting that is named for and depicts the Napa Valley reservoir, is one of my favorites of the Kondos collection: Looking closely, you can detect thin streaks of red and notes of pinks in the Napa countryside, and small brushstrokes of dark blue, teal, yellow and purple in the trees. From five feet away, these brushstrokes are not noticeable. Up close, however, they appear like a revealed secret for only the most eagle-eyed viewer.
The two-floor gallery devotes a significant portion of its first floor to Kondos’ work. Outside of this section, more contemporary pieces from working artists are on view, including several abstract sculptures. Kondos’ work is a natural fit in the gallery’s modern collection, a testament to the forward-thinking, fresh nature of his work.
Thiebaud’s art lesson
Thiebaud spent most of his adult life teaching — first at Sacramento City College and then at UC Davis — so it is only fitting that the great American artist and educator continue to teach years after his passing.
The Legion of Honor’s spectacularly effective and informative Thiebaud retrospective, on view until August, coincides with the San Francisco museum’s centennial celebration. The exhibit could not be more perfect for the occasion: it is innovative and unique, offering a thoughtful lesson in art history by using Thiebaud’s work to explore artists from Matisse to Whistler, and genres from pop art to impressionism.
“Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art,” is a loving depiction of the artist as a self-described “art thief”: While some featured Thiebaud works are merely slight nods to artists and masterworks that inspired him, the exhibit also features the painter’s attempts at direct copies of such pieces as Georges Seurat’s enormous pointillist masterpiece, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”
The museum also displays a couple dozen artworks from Thiebaud’s personal collection, including pieces from Henri Matisse, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline. In showing the art Thiebaud was inspired by — the art he collected, directly copied or paid respectful homage to — it’s easier to see how Thiebaud pioneered his own style, how it broke from tradition and where this Sacramento artist fits into the larger context of American modern art.
The multi-roomed exhibit displays a sizable collection of Thiebaud’s artwork, from his most famous paintings of cakes, candy apples and other confections to his dizzying depictions of San Francisco’s steep streets. Each Thiebaud painting has a descriptive plaque which includes an image of an artwork that Thiebaud either directly or indirectly credited as inspiration.
For example, Kondos pays homage to “Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Portrait of the Artist’s Mother),” one of the world’s most recognizable paintings, in “Tapestry Skirt,” a depiction of his wife, Betty Jean Thiebaud, seen similarly seated in a wooden chair.
I’ve seen Whistler’s painting in person at its home in Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, but I would have never thought of the painting — its dark, formal, serious tone — while looking at Thiebaud’s colorful and warm depiction of his wife. The stark juxtaposition is a demonstration of Thiebaud’s ability to ingest great art, and then create pieces that are entirely his own.
Bringing color back to life
Perhaps, like me, you have been feeling overwhelmed, uninspired and spiritless of late. Whenever I feel this way, I return to art — to crafting, to color, to energy and exploration. Nothing has motivated or energized me more since November than seeing these two exhibits. Why? It’s the color: The intentional brushstrokes in Thiebaud’s pink cake or Kondos’ depiction of the Pyrenees. They’re purposeful. They’re bursts of hope. I see the color in life again.
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 9:55 AM.