Freedom Tower on the Way to Manhattan

In Freedom Tower on the Way to Manhattan, Bisbee captures the exact moment the skyline emerges into view during a bridge crossing. Painted in oil on canvas, the scene conveys anticipation, with the tower rising against a soft wash of violet, blue, and gentle cream.

The composition feels cinematic — the vertical thrust of the Freedom Tower set against the horizontal expanse of bridge and roadway. Bisbee’s layering creates a depth that feels both immediate and dreamlike, a balance between real space and remembered experience. The restrained yet rich colour palette reflects the quiet excitement of approaching a long-awaited destination.

Artist statement: I like to travel and I take photos wherever I go hoping to paint them when I return to the studio. Even if we’re sitting in traffic, I’ll find compositions that might work for a painting. I captured the reference photo for this painting at the moment when it’s really exciting because we can see the destination, we just have to get over the bridge. It holds my memory of anticipation remember how we’re almost to the city, not quite, but soon the urban adventure begins.