Claude Viallat

Claude Viallat, born in 1936, Nîmes, France. He lives and work in Nîmes.

 

Claude Viallat played a major role in the abstract art movement in France. He is particularly associated with the Supports/Surfaces movement, a group of artists in the 1970s who challenged the traditional conventions of painting. Viallat's distinctive signature lies in the repeated use of a motif: that of the stain or "swatch", an abstract form he applies to a variety of supports, often canvas, fabric or everyday objects.

 

Viallat's work is characterized by a rigorous exploration of color and form. His canvases are often large surfaces where motifs are regularly repeated, creating a captivating visual rhythm. Viallat's creative process is marked by a calculated spontaneity, where color is applied freely but with careful consideration of the work's overall composition. This approach gives his work a singular dynamic, oscillating between structure and freedom of expression. 

 

Claude Viallat's legacy to the contemporary art world is considerable. His innovative exploration of the possibilities of painting and his questioning of artistic conventions have influenced many artists and helped expand the frontiers of abstraction in France and beyond. 

 

In recognition of "Supports/Surfaces", the group was exhibited at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1971), the Centre Pompidou and the Venice Biennale in the 1980s. Viallat's work can be found in numerous museum collections, including the Musée national d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Fondation Cartier Paris, the CAPC Bordeaux, the Museum of Modern Art New York, the Kunstmuseum Basel and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal.