Photography students spend day at the Philip Johnson Glass House

Photo contributed by Riley Durkin Light shines through glass panels in the sculpture gallery at the Glass House complex.
Photo contributed by Riley Durkin
Light shines through glass panels in the sculpture gallery at the Glass House complex.

Abigail Neugeboren
Reporter

On October 29th and 30th, the AP Photography and Documentary Photography classes visited the Philip Johnson Glass House complex in New Canaan. “The trip was great because most of us had never been to the Glass House, and it is such an inspiring piece of art in our town,” junior Emma Rosenstein said. “We were able to basically go anywhere on the grounds and it was cool to see how everyone used their creativity in different ways to capture the house and area.”

Photography teacher Jeanne McDonagh said that the students were instructed to have a ‘color shoot’ when they visited the Glass House. “The students were supposed to focus on fall foliage, because this week was the peak of the season’s colors.” Ms. McDonagh said.

“The Glass House provided me an unparalleled satisfaction due to the balance between nature and architecture.” said junior Zach Seger.

Photo contributed by Savannah Shephard Senior Ryan McMahon poses in the Pavillion.
Photo contributed by Savannah Shephard Senior Ryan McMahon poses in the Pavillion.

Some photos on display at the Glass House were taken by NCHS students in the past. This was made possible by the high school’s educational partnership with the Glass House. “The Glass House will give the students credit and they’ll publish their photos on their website or they might even make them into postcards,” Ms. McDonagh said.

After walking through the complex and galleries that were opened especially for the NCHS tour, students were able to visit the adjoining buildings including the Painting Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, Glass House and Da Monsta. “There is so much inspiration within the different buildings, and the sections of the property let everyone get really creative with the different shots,” junior Grace Gowdy said.

“The Glass house trip was an extraordinary opportunity to see one of the most famous landmarks in the Northeast at such a great time for the blossoming foliage. Not only did we get to see beautiful modern art, but we were also able to view what art was like during Philip Johnson’s life.” said junior Cooper Manchuck.

“Its a landmark in itself,” Ms. McDonagh said. “It reflects some aspect of the past in terms of a visual idea.”

Students agreed that the trip provided a great opportunity to take good photos. “It was interesting to see such great modern art in a beautiful location within my very own town,” sophomore Katharine Freiberg said.

“The Glass House trip was a great experience that made me learn about the different artwork featured at the house and take pictures of our own.” said sophomore Meghan Egan.