A Life of Poetry and Painting
Claude Tarnaud was a French poet, painter, and collagist. Born in Maisons-Laffitte, France, his creative journey was deeply intertwined with the surrealist movement. During the Second World War, he discovered surrealism and jazz, experiences that shaped his early artistic identity. He was a founding member of the journal La Révolution La Nuit in 1946 and later participated in the journal Néon. His life was marked by a period of self-imposed isolation, a choice he maintained until his death in Avignon, France.
His literary and visual output often explored the concept of a "mythic-lived" existence, attempting to bridge the gap between reality and the imaginary. His work was frequently accompanied by illustrations, including those by his wife, Henriette de Champrel. Throughout his travels—from Geneva to Mogadiscio, New Delhi, and New York—Tarnaud maintained a complex relationship with the world, often seeking a "silence" that defined his later years.
Literary and Artistic Contributions
Tarnaud's body of work includes several significant prose works and poetic endeavors. His bibliography includes:
His artistic presence was also felt through his involvement in the 1947 International Surrealist Exhibition and his collaboration with various journals such as Positions and Phases. His life was characterized by a pursuit of an invented existence, often through the medium of writing and visual experimentation.
