While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on December 21, 2011 and an Etsy Facebook post feature made it go just a little viral. Enjoy!
This Florida girl is pretty new to the powdery white stuff. If you live anywhere with snow, you know, as I am now finding out, that the fluffy white sugar transforms and quiets all around it. But it is a fleeting beauty, only lasting a few months before turning to slush and ushering in the newness of spring. And with the environmental changes taking place and urban sprawl snowballing ( pun intended ), the time and places to enjoy unspoiled beauty is diminishing quickly. The vulnerability of the landscape under the threat of commerce is the underlying theme of Vancouver, BC artist Nicole Dextras’ Ice Typography installations.
Her installations of words against backdrops of natural and urban landscapes begin with wood forms which are filled with water and left to freeze. Once frozen, the forms are removed, leaving behind only the ice, which as we all know from Frosty’s story, only lasts for a little while.
These installations are indeed powerful when whole, but it is once the ice begins to melt, or is blown over by wintery winds that their real potency comes through..
Equally compelling is the juxtaposition of words and phrases against their natural or urban backdrops..
To see more of Nicole Dextras’ poignant installations, please visit her website. During this season of incredible beauty and rampant consumerism, perhaps take a walk in the woods instead of heading to the mall. It will be good for your soul.
Featured image is Legacy, a shot of the plywood forms installed on the frozen Yukon River. All images are via the artist’s website.
merlo150
December 23, 2011 at 2:30 PMIsn’t a Florida rather a warm place?
Lesley
December 23, 2011 at 4:09 PMYes, Florida is, but I am currently living in Northern Idaho, where I am enjoying my first white Christmas!
Nicole Dextras: Ice Typography «
January 2, 2012 at 8:01 AM[…] artsy forager […]
Jade
January 5, 2012 at 1:09 PMAmazing – lovely concept.
Enjoy the snow and ice.
Lesley
January 5, 2012 at 1:11 PMThanks for stopping by, Jade! I’ve noticed a huge flow of traffic going to this post from Facebook– do you mind letting me know what led you here? So glad you came, hope you stop by again!
Cheers!
Lesley
thewanderingballoon
January 5, 2012 at 1:15 PMthis: https://www.facebook.com/Etsy
🙂
Lesley
January 5, 2012 at 1:18 PMOh wow!! How exciting! I haven’t had a chance to scroll through my news feed yet, so I didn’t see it. Thanks for letting me know, Erika!
Cheers!
Lesley
Kelly
January 5, 2012 at 1:20 PMEtsy just shared you with us all 🙂 Really cool concept! I’m a Florida girl myself and wish I could go play in the snow too! unfortunately, the Orlando area doesn’t quite fit the bill. But it does “snow nightly” in Disney’s little town named – Celebration. Unfortunately, it’s basically a shaving cream equivalent 🙁 Anyway…thanks for sharing!
Lesley
January 5, 2012 at 1:23 PMHaha, Kelly! Greetings from a fellow Floridian! I’m originally from Jacksonville and love the snow so much my niece tossed fake snow instead of flowers at my outdoor January wedding last year. Love being here in the mountains of the Northwest, though we haven’t seen too much of the white stuff lately.
Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again!
Cheers!
Lesley
Lisa Lopez
January 5, 2012 at 1:23 PMBeautiful! Thanks for sharing! And, Etsy posted this story on FB…that’s how I found it. Congrats
Lesley
January 5, 2012 at 1:28 PMThanks, Lisa, I haven’t been on my news feed so didn’t see Etsy’s post! Glad you enjoyed Nicole’s work, thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again!
Cheers!
Lesley
Gayle Price
January 5, 2012 at 2:12 PMVery cool!
lori spears
January 5, 2012 at 2:33 PMYour work speaks of fragiltity and fleeting moments of reflection. Gorgeous. Facebook brought me here. Thank you for sharing.