Elena Presser

Elena Presser (born November 3, 1940) is an Argentine artist who focuses on keyboard pieces, specifically on Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations. Her artwork is her interpretation of classical music and is defined with shapes and symbols within her artwork. She also includes religious notions affiliated with the high quality of music. She also believes that music is unique to everyone, therefore she decides to primarily include it in her art.

Biography Elena Presser was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has also lived in Florida, California, and Philadelphia. It was in Buenos Aires at age 18, when her interest towards Bach's musical pieces grew substantially, and even more specifically on the Goldberg Variations. Aria with Diverse Variations for a Harpsichord with Two Manuals was a series of piano pieces composed by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach in 1741 which contained the final music series titled Goldberg Variations. Presser often repeatedly listened to the Goldberg Variations in order to detect the underlying differences among the musical composition and its features. Re-listening to these pieces helped Presser transform Bach's compositions into a visual representation and three dimensional form of keyboard music. Presser's various artworks contain numerous forms of medium in which she arranges her interpretation of the Goldberg Variations to her personal tastes. Presser has done interpretations of other music compositions including pieces from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical era.

Education Presser received her education from various universities. In 1962, she attended the University of Buenos Aires and later attended Miami-Dade Community College, where she attained an associate of arts. Furthermore, Presser enrolled in the University of Miami in 1976 and to Florida International University, where she received a bachelor of fine arts degree.

Plate III Variation 20 from the Goldberg Variations, 1984: This piece of art included silver wire, paper, nails, pastel, silk thread and pencil. This piece was based on Variation 20 from the Goldberg Variations and has numerous strings stretching from top to bottom, all aligned at the bottom to holes. This symmetrical formation of strings, where each depict a beat, are reflected both vertically and horizontally and were created to form a harpsichord. The strings are held together at the top in a v-shaped form from a top angle, and represents the intensity of human joy and tempo emanating from these chords. The calligraphy inscribed among the structure is the artistic signature of Presser that is constantly seen throughout her various other artworks. There is both mirth and sadness evoked in this piece of artwork with the different colors of strings and notes.

Collections State of Florida Tallahassee Department of Natural Resources Tallahassee Ruth & Marvin Sackner Collection Miami Cypress Savings Association Planation R.E. Lee & Son Charlottesville Ruth & Richard Shack Collection Miami Netsky Collection Miami Berman Collection New York Elena Presser : Works on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach written by Elena Presser and Paula Hays Harper.