Site Specific Installation and Exhibition
Philip Johnson's Glass House, CT 
May 2nd - November 30th, 2013


The Glass House is pleased to announce its first site-specific exhibition: SNAP! by E.V. Day. Conceived for the building known as Da Monsta — designed by Philip Johnson in 1995 as a visitor center and now a gallery — SNAP! interprets the pavilion’s peculiar geometry and atmosphere both inside and out. Day has roped the exterior of Da Monsta with massive climbing webs and populated the interior with an ensemble of recent sculpture that tease out the noir, qualities of Johnson’s late work.

SNAP! signals the ongoing transformation of the Glass House from a static house museum to a place of active cultural exchange. It also highlights the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s commitment to reinvigorating its historic sites with innovative programming. According to Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Senior Vice President of Historic Sites at the National Trust, “Historic sites must be dynamic, relevant and evolving. They must foster an understanding and appreciation of history and culture that is critical, layered, and sensory. Installations like this one at the Glass House not only reinvigorate the site's legacy as a locus of creativity but also establish it as a thought leader in the intersection of historic preservation and contemporary art." Glass House Director Henry Urbach adds, “SNAP! interacts boldly and playfully with Da Monsta. By foregrounding themes of the body, identity, and power, Day’s work opens up new readings of the building and the site.”

Da Monsta, located near the Glass House gate, is a jagged neo-Expressionist building of curves and contours. Responding to Johnson’s statement that “the building is alive,” the artist has cast a net, capturing and staking Da Monsta to the ground. The dynamic interplay between Day and Da Monsta continues inside. Five recent sculptures — Spinneret (a study for Spidey Striptease), Silver Mummified Barbie, Wet Net, Pollinator, and Bandage Dress (white with chain) — occupy the first gallery. The second gallery presents an installation of tight directional lines that ricochet from Da Monsta’s unique contours. The vibration of a purring beast below the floor further exposes its strange alive-ness.