Claude Viallat was born in Nîmes in 1936. After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montpellier between 1955 and 1959, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1962 to 1963. Upon completing his studies, Viallat dedicated himself to creating abstract and colorful paintings. He was also a founding member of the short-lived Supports/Surfaces group, whose first exhibition took place at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1969—followed by only three more group exhibitions. The group aimed to reconsider the traditional methods of painting, whether related to the medium or technique, and to challenge the intellectualization often associated with art. Supports/Surfaces also encouraged reflection on the creative gesture as an integral part of the artwork.

Claude Viallat developed a highly distinctive and personal style, characterized by vibrant geometric abstraction. He favored using tarpaulin as his preferred medium, on which he stamped a biomorphic motif with irregular contours, repeating it infinitely across the surface. This quickly became his visual signature, the distinctive mark of his work and an iconic element of his art.

The pieces we offer are part of Viallat's most representative production, featuring colorful geometric abstraction. His biomorphic motif—soon recognized as his visual signature—is endlessly repeated using a stencil on the entire tarpaulin, Viallat's preferred medium, while other Supports/Surfaces members opted for canvas-free frames, fabric scraps, or recycled materials. The repetition of the biomorphic motif ultimately frees the artwork from any subject matter, making painting and color the central subjects of the work.

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