Claude Viallat

Video

Claude Viallat is a founding member of the French movement Supports and Surfaces. The groups’ intention was to deconstruct painting. Painting on canvas’s without stretchers and exposing the stretcher in the final work. In this video he speaks on his practice that continues to work within the parameters set forth in this movement. He talks about his intention focusing on scanning his surfaces and finding a working rhythm that unifies across the canvas. The fabric he uses modifies the color he applies. He has no idea what the end result will be seeing as the fabric may weaken or mark the applied color. This inherently allows chance to come into his work. He says that he accepts the work whatever happens and says he never gets it wrong. He has an assistant that finds the worst fabrics for him to paint on to test him but he accepts the challenge. He gives himself the goal of managing to develop a pattern that completely changes what is there.  Snakeskin, lame, gold are some examples of fabrics he works on. He finds his work to be similar to street art and pop art because of the bold colors, repetition, and screen-printing techniques. He was trained in traditional painting techniques and his goal continues to be to deconstruct everything about painting and possibly create new openings.  To see a piece of his hanging in the Pompidou Center in Paris is inspiring. Large paintings on industrial tarps used as his canvas, the unconventional hanging showing the weight of the material. His work speaks of the life of nomads. It has movement and freedom to it and is timeless..