Philip Johnson’s Glass House is a Playground for Female Artists
On Saturday, New Yorkers voyaged north to architect Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut for an afternoon of cocktails and contemporary art. A seminal breakthrough in modern architecture, The Glass House was constructed between 1949 and 1998, and is one of fourteen structures on the lush 49-acre property. “Hearing a modern deconstructed symphony within the structures of this historic landscape is so surreal, and what makes it even more surreal is that all of my best friends created it,” says poet Cleo Wade, of her female art collective ‘Chez Conversations,’ who created site-specific sound installations throughout the property for yesterday’s fête. The collective, which consists of artists Wade, Liza Voloshin, Margot, Kate Greer, and Mia Moretti, were all in attendance and donned flowing Ferragamo frocks. Moretti manned the decks and deejayed classical music such as Mozart and Philip Glass, before Margot performed a song by the lake, which was laden with floating metallic balls, courtesy of artist Yayoi Kusama. “We wanted to mix a female voice in our deconstructed instrumentation, since orchestras have always been so male-dominated,” explained Moretti of the joint female venture. During the leisurely afternoon, guests played ping pong, perused the auction, and bid on works from artists such as Dustin Yellin, KAWS, and Richard Serra, before grabbing picnic baskets and finding a spot for lunch on the grass. “We couldn’t think of a more perfect setting to spend the afternoon and exhibit our work – it’s literal living art!” exclaimed Wade.
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Kate Greer, Cleo Wade, Margot, Liza Voloshin, Mia Moretti. Photo by BFA.
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Hanna Martin, Aliza Sena. Photo by BFA.
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Glass House Summer Party. Photo by BFA.
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Liza Voloshin, Scott Drevnig. Photo by BFA.
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Maryellen Bunn. Photo by BFA.
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Glass House Summer Party. Photo by BFA.
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Yayoi Kusama Installation. Photo by BFA.
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Glass House Summer Party. Photo by BFA.
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Margot. Photo by BFA.
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The Glass House. Photo by BFA.