Santa BUŠS : 'Calligraphie abstraite' (Hommage à Georges Mathieu) 
for ensemble (2012) : 
Performed by Convergence New Music Ensemble, 
conductor Thomas Herzog

The inspiration for this work has been brought from the French artist Georges Mathieu (1921-2012), one of the representatives of the lyrical abstractionism, and more precisely his large format works from the 1950s and 1960s. Studying the work of Mathieu, reading his reflections, watching videos of his working methods, I was captured by the spontaneity and speed at which he worked, as well as the way he created his associative action painting. In his brightest paintings of that period one can see the same artistic handwriting, and this composition is also made both directly and associatively referring to that. 
The works of Mathieu are both saturated and laconic at the same time, and though they are made spontaneously, they give the impression of a well organised and balanced composition. The united colour palette and common gestures leave lines and points on the canvas, that resemble accomplished and spontaneous, yet abstract calligraphy. Whereas the work method includes periods of intense activity and abrupt distancing from the large canvas in order to see the “bigger picture” and decide on the following steps… 
The work process as well as the body language of the artist and painting motives are aspects which I have tried to interpret in the piece 'Calligraphie abstraite (Hommage à Georges Mathieu)'.

Santa Bušs 'Calligraphie abstraite'

santa.buss@gmail.com

Santa BUŠS is a Latvian composer especially interested in detailed pre-compositional process and working with extra-musical ideas (found in other art forms, physiology, history, mythology, nature, architecture, medicine, sports, philosophy, etc.). 

Though her main focus and form of expression has been linked with instrumental music, lately she has discovered a deep interest in the voice and its possibilities, as well as being keen to expand her approach towards sound, composition and exploring different forms of collaboration. 
This also includes exploring territories between conventional and unconventional notation and performance techniques, as well as experimenting between the boundaries of music, theatre and opera, often focusing on the physical manipulation of instruments and the presence of musicians as a source of drama. 

She has studied both composition and musicology at the Latvian Academy of Music and Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. 

Her works have been performed throughout Europe, in North America and Asia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgBltNTuhvU

Santa Bušs 'Calligraphie abstraite'

Santa Buss