LE RÉSERVOIR

Many buildings in New York City have a feature that catches the eye – wooden water towers, iconic structures perched on rooftops. They are everywhere and help define the city's skyline.

Tom Fruin (b.1974), a sculptor who lives in Brooklyn, has turned them into colourful and attractive works of art. Water tanks are usually made of wood. Fruin makes his with pieces of glass and plexiglass, found here and there in his neighbourhood. This is a photo of Watertower 3: R.V. Ingersoll from his Icons series. This piece, which dates back to 2014, is installed in Brooklyn near the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a site that perhaps doesn't quite do it justice, even though it feels very New York. It can be seen from a distance, walking along the East River. The work catches the eye, especially when the sun sets on it, as shown in this photo taken in the fall of 2022 from the Brooklyn Heights Boardwalk.