Raymon Alozua
Water Tower, 1981

Meticulously crafted from astonishingly thin ceramic strips that have been precisely cut, textured, painted and assembled, Elozua’s Water Tanks, such as Water Tank Series II-#10 (1979), represent his dual interests in containment and industrial structures and reflect the urban landscape surrounding his Elizabeth Street studio in lower Manhattan. His fascination with form and surface in these free-standing, weather-beaten water tanks foreshadows the artist’s elaborate, industrial landscapes. Simultaneously, employing colors such as barn red, rust, grey, and slate blue, Elozua establishes his signature palette of decay, which he uses throughout his career.