Interview
DAVENPORT Contracting, Inc. 203-324-6308 •
www.dvnport.com
Photos by David Sloane
34 New England Home’s Connecticut Fall 2010
Points on a Line, will be premiered at the event in Chicago and then in New York. KH: And the book from Assouline comes out at roughly the same time, I believe? CM: We are actually getting the Chicago copies air-shipped, so they will be there before anybody else has had a chance to see them; and then they’ll be in New York. You’ll be able to buy books signed by the participants, which is very exciting. The cover is by Al Taylor, who was a dear friend of Philip Johnson’s longtime life partner Dave Whitney. Taylor’s estate is having a show at the David Zwirner Gallery in the fall, so after all the events we’ll have the book launch at the gallery to celebrate that. KH: You’ll also be having an online auction. Is that at the same time as the live auctions or is it a separate thing? CM: We are calling it an online exhibition because people will be able to register a bid through Sotheby’s, but they won’t be able to bid live like they do on eBay or Live Auctioneers, for example. It will go live on September 7, I think. People will be able to see all the work. We hope that they will all be very interested, since the money goes to support our preservation, and they absolutely should buy something! KH: I’m curious about what kind of work the proceeds from Modern Views will make possible here at the Glass House compound. What are you planning to use the money for? CM: The proceeds from Modern Views will be dedicated to the preservation of the Brick House. It’s actually the “other half ” of the Glass House. It sits at the bottom of a slope, so it has been filling with water for many years, which has created a mold problem. We need to go in and restore the interior, including the Fortuny fabrics, the books, the Pesce chairs—but also the infrastructure, to ensure that the building is preserved in perpetuity. So, our part of the Modern Views funds will be dedicated one hundred percent to that capital project. KH: Well, Christy, this sounds like quite a positive note on which to take your leave. New Canaan’s loss is the Rauschenberg Foundation’s gain; I’m sure your friends and supporters wish you well in your next endeavor. • Editor’s Note For more information about Modern Views, call (203) 594-9884 or visit www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org/programs /modernviews.