Since the 1960s,Claude Viallat has been moved to revisit the geneology of abstract painting and the seduction of art informel,identifying a primitive form,with distinct and inimitable characteristics that are essential and almost hypnotic.He long ago abandoned the verticality of the easel,painting on untreated canvas on the floor with a mix of gelatins,pigments,and water,and began to direct his attention to beaches and streets,places not typically designated for artistic attention.