Reflecting on the Freedom Tower

Acrylic on 8x10 canvas panel

Available through DPW gallery/auction

I took a walk one lunch hour a few weeks ago. My usual lunch walking buddy could not leave that day, so I wandered about on my own. I had my iPhone in hand and just walked down to Battery Park, which is not far away from my office. 

It was a beautiful day, sun out full force but the air hadn't gotten that hot, humid summery feel to it yet. People were out everywhere - walking, talking, bicycling, skating. The tour boats were busy coming & going, giving all the tourists a view of the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island.

And as I wandered out of the park that day, I was struck with the fact that I was a whole lot closer to the Freedom Tower than I had realized. Although I have to say, what looks like it would be a quick walk in NYC, is in fact, not! I find judging distance a bit difficult with the tall, vertical buildings surrounding me. 

I snapped some photos of the tower, but it is so large it is almost impossible to get the whole thing in the picture - especially when standing only a few blocks away. But I was struck by the variety of buildings surrounding the tower and the reflection of the one building on the glass of the tower itself. That is what this painting is of - that neighborhood and the reflection on the building.

And as the title of this piece suggests, a person reflects on the tower much the same as the surrounding buildings do. What the tower stands for, what it represents and all that it holds within it's walls -- what every New Yorker, as well as every American, believes in. 

Freedom!
Happy Independence Day!

For a bit of info about the tower, here is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center

It is now called "One World Trade Center" - but to the New Yorker it is still referred to as the Freedom Tower.