Valdis Bušs

---

Biography

Valdis Bušs was born in a farmer family on July 25, 1924, in Vilaka Parish, Abrene District. The talent in drawing emerged in childhood and already the first teacher notices that and encourages boy's interest. He continues his education and drawing classes at the Vilaka Secondary School. During World War II he has served in legion, completed the school of non-commissioned officers, as a platoon commander participated in military actions, and called into the Red Army. The desire to connect his life with art does not fade and in 1945 Buss started studies at the Latvian Academy of Art in the Painting Department. But one year before graduation he has to leave the studies and go to Siberia where he spends several years. He does not obtain an Academy diploma either. After returning to his homeland in 1955, Jurmala became the home of the Buss’ family and his future life was directly related to art. He works as an instructor at the Riga 2nd Industrial School of Printing and Publishing, and until 1984 as a decorator at the enterprise group Maksla. In 1973 Buss officially enters the Artists’ Union of Latvia, and he has been the leader of the Jurmala Artists’ Group.

Interesting Facts

The real reason for studies termination at the Academy of Art was love. In 1949 young artist’s fiancée’s Anna Burlacane’s family was repressed and deported to Siberia and Buss decided to go with her. At the academy as an official reason for academic leave, he mentioned the health improvement. He was not taken back either because he had registered his marriage with the “betrayer of the country”.

In 1993, in a generous manner typical for Valdis Buss, he donated 60,000 Belgian francs to the Jurmala Music School in cooperation with the Honorary Consul of Latvia in Belgium Niels Dahlmann, with the aim to promote the development of the cultural life of his hometown.

The artist's worldview and emotions are revealed not only in his paintings but also in his personal notes. Most of these notes are expressed his reflections on art.

Artistic style

As important teachers from the academy, Valdis Buss emphasizes the master of still life Leo Svemps (1897-1975) and Arijs Skride (1906-1987). That also reflects Buss’ artistic manner: from Svemps he has taken pastose brushstroke technique, the bold usage of colours, and the stylization of shapes, while from Skride passion for landscape painting. The style of “Belgian” Janis Tidemanis (1897-1964) has also been close to the artist. Both have used a technique known as painting with a palette knife which gives texture and expressiveness to the exposition. In general, Valdis Buss’ artistic style can be described as close to the French Modernism of the beginning of the 20th century, especially Fauvism and the creation of Henri Matisse (1869-1954), as well as the slight influence of Abstract Expressionism.

Although the artistic manner of Valdis Buss is overall persistent in the choice of themes and motifs and the technical solutions, his work can be divided into four decades. In each of the decades, there is a small but noticeable specific nuance. The most creative stages were from the 70s to 90s, and in each of the decades, it is possible to recognize a certain specificity of artistic manner. Maintaining the division of decades, the period from 2000 to the death of the artist in 2014 can be considered as the late or final phase. Passion for the landscape already appears in Buss’ studies in the 1950s when he was deported to the Far East. The artist regularly went to paint in the Plein-air. The most typical motifs are the views of the small towns of Kurzeme, the native Latgale, Jurmala, the water and boat pier, and the trees which are almost an integral part of each composition.

The 70s

The 1970s are a decade when Valdis Buss introduces himself in Latvian art life. His works were first shown in an exhibition in 1971. A year later, a solo exhibition of the artist takes place in Jurmala. Buss himself also lived in Jurmala where his workshop was located and this city also became an artist’s source of inspiration and a popular motif in his works. This decade bolds out the elements that remained the most interesting to the artist himself throughout his life. Characteristic features of Buss’ work are pastose brushwork technique, applying colour with a palette knife, colour contrasts, and thick texture. The composition is constructed with elements as an elevated horizon, flattened space, some works can be associated with a narrowness that creates the feeling that the painting wants to step out of its frames. The depiction appears fragmentary and capturing the moment in an impressionistic manner, the approximation of objects, the softening of lines and shapes. The colour as itself is also an integral part of the paintings and the form of artistic expression. Mostly chromatic colours and strong contrasts of these colours are used. Dominant are different shades of green, blue, and red. Another feature of this decade is that no black colour is used, only to contour certain areas. In the scenes of paintings, popular are the views of the small-town street, the surroundings of Jurmala, natural landscapes, the motif of the boat pier, and the seasons of the year. Although a seemingly calm narrative of a small town is depicted emotionally there is a certain tension that is exacerbated by the expressiveness of the brush strokes.

The 80s

In this decade, Valdis Buss develops and improves his artistic style, maintaining confidence in the expressiveness of colours and the intuitive feeling of nature. Regularly organizes his own exhibitions in Jurmala and other Latvian cities. The range of themes still dominates the landscape which is more expanded comparing to the previous period and obtaining a more panoramic view. The artist also focuses on still life using a vase with flowers as a regular motif. The works of art are bright and saturated with colour acquiring a certain decorativeness. Manner of flattering of the volume of objects and an unconventional viewing angle that some ways indicate inspiration from the French post-impressionist tradition. Buss also expands the colour palette in the paintings are used a wide range of yellow, pink, and purple tones. A common trend is singular brush stroke painting which in some works acquires elongated linear shapes. Often the composition is built from separate areas of colour. Thematically continues scenes of sailing yachts, small towns, as a specific theme appears certain elements of the urban landscape and daytime hours.

The 90s

In the final decade of the 20th century, Buss consistently continues to paint in his characteristic manner, maintaining a bold colour palette and personal aesthetic qualities. With the change of political system, the artist gains international recognition, already in the early '90s, it was possible to see his works in such Western European art centres as Paris and Brussels. The sale of his works is followed by commercial success and his paintings are part of the collections of foreign art lovers. Artistic style can be described as a synthesis of the two previous periods. In some works, the singular brush stroke painting acquires smaller shapes. Unlike in the 1970s and 1980s, the use of blacks is reduced as contours that separate colour areas. However, this does not lessen the already usual decorativeness and emphasis on colour contrasts. Decreases also the emphasis on texture and colour thickness which was a typical way of artistic expression in the early stages. Thematically more frequently appears figural compositions with close-up people images and elements of living nature. Alongside the already familiar landscape and still life, the artist includes motives of the local and global social and political scene. Individual compositions can be classified as abstractions in which appears free shapes and lines, and the flow of colours.

The Final Phase 2000-2014

The last decade of the artist's life is also creative and active. Thematically remains faithful to the theme of nature, repeatedly focuses on the landscape, pier, water, and his native Latgale. A consistent motif is a sun which in Buss’ paintings varies from bright orange and green to dramatically black. Most of the compositions are made in a singular brushstroke technique with the richness and vitality of the colours. In the last year of life, paintings have also been created with wide areas of colour and a little bit reduced the expressiveness of brush trains. The poetic and metaphysical scope of colours can be felt in the compositions.

Used literature:

Šmite E. Valdis Bušs. – Rīga: Neputns, 2003

Burāne I. Valdis Bušs. Art. Knowledge. Versions. – Rīga: Mansards, 2014