1. 8 CHRONOGRAM 7/14
It would technically be an exaggeration to say that Elisa Pritzker has been an artist all her
life, but not by much. Born in Argentina, she was eight-years old when she discovered
her passion. Soon her parents arranged to send her to the Superior School ofVisualArts,
a special art school at the local university. “They were kid courses, but in the environ-
ment of college,” Pritzker says. She recalls being surrounded by college-age art students
and their work, and “really wanting to grow up” so she could go to art school.
Today, Pritzker lives in the Hudson Valley, where she resides and works in a dis-
tinctive Antoni Gaudí-inspired home in Highland. She works mostly in three mediums:
sculpture, mixed-media photography, and installation.The different media allow her to
experiment with new ideas to keep her engaged. “I’ve been doing art for 40 years,” she
explains. Pritzker strives to create what she calls an openness in her artwork. “I want
people to come into my world,” she says, often drawing inspiration from the pristine
landscapes of the HudsonValley.
Like many artists, Pritzker’s creative process is defined more by inspiration than by
method.“It all happens organically—I let the environment talk to me,” she says, adding,
“My mind and my heart are already open to discovering objects in an artistic way.” Pritz-
ker takes inspiration from an eclectic group of artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Frida
Kahlo, and Hieronymus Bosch. She’s drawn to them not only for their imagery, but also
for their passion for their art. Similarly, in her own work, beauty isn’t her main concern.
“Nature is already beautiful,” Pritzker explains. “I try to put my mark on it.”That mark
often comes in the form of a zipper, usually attached to natural objects as in DoubleVision,
which she says is about “opening up into the uncanny mystery of the natural world.”
“It’s all about nature,” Pritzker says. “About going beyond what you see.”The zipper
is a recurring motif in her work, evoking a sense of discovery. She explains that zippers
encourage you to “go further than what you are seeing.”The open zipper suggests that
there’s more going on than you can see at first glance, and, in considering what’s under-
neath, you learn to think about nature in a different way. Pritzker hopes her art will en-
courage people to “protect and be a bigger part of nature.”“Art always has a secret part,”
Pritzker continues.“There’s mystery in nature.” It’s that mystery that Pritzker hopes her
audience will ponder, and it’s a mystery that even she doesn’t fully understand. “I don’t
have all the words to explain it,” she admits. “If I understood, I wouldn’t work, I would
talk about it.”
Pritzker’s work will be presented in the group exhibit “18 Ways of Looking at
a Tree,” at Vassar College’s Palmer Gallery, until September 4. (845) 437-5370;
Palmergallery.vassar.edu.
—David King
ON THE COVER
DoubleVision
Elisa Pritzker | mixed-media photography on cotton paper | 20”x 20”| 2014
CHRONOGRAM.COM
WATCH a video interview with artist Elisa Pritzker by Stephen Blauweiss.
the richard b. fisher center
for the performing arts at bard college
july 3 – august 16
a world of delight
cabaret u live music u dinner u dancing
hosted by justin vivian bond
BARDSUMMERSCAPE 2014
july 3
justin Vivian Bond:
Cool Babysitter
july 4
Doveman:The Burgundy Stain
Sessions’ Tribute to Lou Reed
july 5
An Evening with Molly Ringwald
Tickets $30–$50
july 11
Martha Wainwright
july 12
Bridget Everett: Rock Bottom
july 18 and 19
Weimar New York
july 25 and 26
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
august 1
Meow Meow
august 2
The Joey Arias Experience
august 8
The Hot Sardines
august 9
Cabaret Comedy Double Bill
august 15
Amanda Palmer
august 16
Justin Vivian Bond: The Drift
june 27 – august 16
After Hours with
Justin and Friends
july 10 and 17
Late Night Local
july 31 – august 14
Midsummer Dancing
july 26 and 27
Kinder Spiegel
For a complete list of events:
845-758-7900 | fishercenter.bard.edu
Photo: Cory Weaver
Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
