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This is the first large canvas I did of the view looking south from the roof of our building. It was a glorious spring morning. I’ve been looking at this cluster of water tanks every day for almost twenty years, but they looked particularly handsome this day. I have loved how strong they look (holding so much water!), despite their weathering, and I’ve recorded in paintings and photographs how their colors and shadows change in different kinds of light. Andrew Rosenwach, whose family has made the giant water tanks for over a hundred years, expresses my feeling best: “Wood tanks make people happy.” They make me happy any way, and I hope you, too, as you take a closer look at my work. The next two paintings also show southern views from the roof deck. The left one is another spring sunrise on the whole panorama of water tanks. The right one shows a setting September sun instilling warm, flattering color to two of the older tanks. |
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| The water towers in my rooftop neighborhood (Flatiron District) sit mostly on older and smaller buildings that were first built in the 1800’s. They provide efficient gravity flow to the building and refill themselves with pumps and electronics whenever the water level reaches the minimum kept on hand for firefighters. | ||||
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| Our building has its own well-weathered water tank. It sits toward the edge of the roof deck and leaves plenty of room for tables and chairs, plants and trees, and even a little herb garden. Despite the glass towers growing all around and peering down on us, the roof deck is a wonderful place to sit and look out on the city. It’s an integral part of the rooftop neighborhood, a peaceful place above the streets and only the sky above. | ||||
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| Before the attacks of September 11, 2001, the view out my window revealed the top third of the two World Trade Center towers. I’ve had my web master recreate ghost images of the towers to remind me what they looked like. | ||||
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| The aging water tank in the painting at the top right of the page (“ Late September Sun”, 24 x 18) was rebuilt from scratch last year. It was fun to watch them build this mammoth barrel made from thick planks and steel bands that are tightened from the bottom up to hold the planks together. The rebuilt tank with its fresh wood is featured in one of my larger paintings, “Morning Sun on New Water Tank” (36 x 48, oil on canvas). | ||||
Comments or critique?
Please contact me at gbc@nyc.rr.com
or garyconger@theviewoutmywindow.com
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