Watertower
Tom Fruin
Watertower, 2012
Plexiglas, steel
8 x 8 x 10 ft
For the US premiere of his internationally recognized ICON series, artist Tom Fruin has created a monumental water tower sculpture in colorful salvaged plexiglas and steel.
Fruin, who often works with reclaimed and discarded materials, composed Watertower from roughly one thousand scraps of Plexiglas, which came from all over New York City—from the floors of Chinatown sign shops, to the closed DUMBO studio of artist Dennis Oppenheim, to Astoria’s demolition salvage warehouse Build It Green!NYC.
Illuminated by the sun during the day and by Ardunio-controlled light sequences designed by Ryan Holsopple at night, this beacon of light is a tribute to the iconic New York water tower and a symbol of the vibrancy of Brooklyn. Watertower is mounted high upon a water tower platform, becoming part of the DUMBO, Brooklyn skyline.
Tom Fruin
Tom Fruin (b. 1974) works in Brooklyn, NY. His work is a part of many international museums and collections, most notably The Hanck Collection at the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, Germany; the Richard J. Massey Foundation for Arts and Sciences in New York, NY; and the Buenos Aires Design Center (Centro Metropolitano de Diseño) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fruin’s most recent contribution to public art in New York City is the 50 foot tall neon sculpture HOTEL on the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.