ice typography by nicole dextras

'signs of change - consume' by nicole dextras situated in front of vancouver's coal boom harbour real-estate boom
image courtesy of nicole dextras


canadian graphic designer nicole dextras embraces the cold climate of her native country through her 'ice typography' installations -
a series of larger than life words spelled out in block letters made from ice. the three-dimensional texts are fabricated using moulds
dextras pours water into (sometimes colored for a more dramatic effect), allowing it to freeze and assembling the letters
in a means that speaks to how a viewer's gaze frames and informs the landscape in which the frozen statements are placed.

varying in size from as low as 18 inches in height to a whopping 8 feet tall, regardless of where the texts are installed -
whether it is in canada's northern province of yukon, or the metropolitan city of toronto - it is always the temperature which
determines the life of the works, and how long it will take for nature to takes its course and change their state of solid to liquid.
as dextras states, 'this phase of transition becomes symbolic of the interconnectedness of language and culture to the land
as they are affected by time and by a constant shifting and transforming nature.'

the visual poetry which the designer's ice typography creates, aims to subvert the authority of the english language
and the commerce of signage, selecting words which represent a sense of vulnerability and transition. 'words cast in ice interrupt
our literal narratives, allowing a more integrated reading of the land we inhabit, as opposed to the past and current commodification
of land as limitless resource. this fundamental split in perception lies at the crux of our environmental crisis. I therefore choose to create
within an ephemeral vernacular to accentuate the collective physical and psychological experience of flux and change,' dextras says.



'consume' letter detail from the 'signs of change' series
image courtesy of nicole dextras



'signs of change - consume'
video courtesy of nicole dextras


'signs of change' consists of words made from ice that were placed within the canadian urban landscape, each one speaking to its chosen site,
and our society's need to subjugate nature and dominate the the environment.



'signs of change - justify'
how does a city justify a concrete park on busy thoroughfare? it used to house a statue of christopher columbus, which was stolen and mysteriously re-appeared in a better loved location



'signs of change - justify'
video courtesy of nicole dextras



'signs of change - denial'
red ice text in front of abandoned house, one of the few old ones left on the block



signs of change - denial'
video courtesy of nicole dextras



'signs of change - logic'
it once seemed logical to cut down these mighty trees



'legacy' by nicole dextras
image courtesy of nicole dextras


'legacy' was installed along the yukon river in northern canada. the word here refers to its surrounding landscape as being the
heritage of the inhabitants of the region that was founded more than a hundred years ago during the gold rush.



the 8 foot high letters were produced using plywood forms installed on site along the frozen river
image courtesy of nicole dextras



the ice is formed by pouring water into the wooden forms, which are sealed and only open at the top
images courtesy of nicole dextras



the forms are removed and only small pieces of wood support the letters with the cantilevers. to everyone’s surprise, the ice letters crumbled to the ground as soon as the wood was removed
image courtesy of nicole dextras



the only letters left standing after installation were 'L' and 'Y'
image courtesy of nicole dextras



'resource' by nicole dextras
image courtesy of nicole dextras


situated on lake nipissing in ontario, canada, 'resource' was a means of allowing us to question our ownership of
natural resources on a local, national and global level.



wooden forms on-site by the lake were filled with water, with a week of minus 10 celsius temperatures needed to freeze
image courtesy of nicole dextras



the sun helps cast large shadows of the phrase 'resource' on the cold environment, forcing one to question the ownership of the land and its elements
image courtesy of nicole dextras



the installation lasted a total of four weeks
photo by liz lott



'view' by nicole dextras
image courtesy of nicole dextras


standing at 6 feet high, 'view' was situated off lake ontario where the high winds eventually blew the letters over before they
even had time to melt.



up close of 'view'
image courtesy of nicole dextras



'view points - silence' by nicole dextras
the landscape is neither silent or peaceful (*note the large whitecaps on the water)
image courtesy of nicole dextras


a series of text that were installed on toronto island, the icy words of 'view points' relate to multiple perspectives of language,
how one is able to conjure up a number of definitions depending on the viewpoint of the reader.



'view points - reason'
reason over passion soon melts away



'view points - truth'
looking north, the CN tower looms in the background, the city is not far away
image courtesy of nicole dextras



'view points - desire
land by the water is always desirable



'view points - desire'
night shot with the city lights glowing in the background


via artsy forager, collacubed

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