#fruin

Inspiration is everywhere, you just need to look for it. Yesterday, while biking over the Manhattan Bridge, I intentionally slowed my pace and vowed to enjoy the scenery and enjoy the moment of being exactly where I was.

I stopped occasionally, taking photos on the way - cool grafitti here, or wire cables there, and then I spotted it. The Fruin water tower. Or water color tower, if you will.

Not knowing if this was part of the high profile water tower art project that had kicked off in the city recently (http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/painting-the-town-wet-the-water-tower-project-coming-to-nyc),  I did some quick research to get the story. Turns out that local artist Tom Fruin is behind this gem. Using reclaimed materials, he erected the tower on his own rooftop, which is on Jay Street in DUMBO. This is part of his  “Icon” collection, a series of sculptures that celebrate architectural gems in cities around the world, including a similarly colorful rendering of the Obelisco in Buenos Aires. For this Brooklyn piece, Fruin is quoted as saying that he went with a structure that is, “everywhere and beautiful and silently overlooked.” I've only seen it in the daytime, but apparently, the tower has timed lights that shine out from the inside, creating a gorgeous stained glass effect for locals to see. I'll have to return to see it after the sun has set.