Ice Typography Creates A Compelling Visual And Environmental Statement [Pics]

Type is absolutely everywhere, but when brought into a different context, it can make for a powerful statement. Such is the case with the series, ‘Ice Typography’ by environmental artist, Nicole Dextras. Dextras has spent the past few years sculpting and photographing her frozen type installations, creating compelling visual text that shouts no matter the landscape. The pervading theme in her work is the environment’s vulnerability resulting from human encroachment.

With her exhibition, Signs of Change, on a weekly basis, new words fabricated from ice were left to melt in an urban setting. Another installation, Legacy, referred to the Yukon land being synonymous with the heritage of its inhabitants. Her installations of words against natural backdrops as well as cityscapes begin with wooden molds which are filled with water and left to freeze. Once frozen, the molds are removed, leaving behind only ice, which only lasts for a limited time.

The frozen messages make a bold statement, but as the ice begins to melt, or becomes ravaged by the elements, another type of potency shines through, making the viewer question his/her relationship and ownership of land, natural resources, and even language itself.

In her artist statement, Dextras explains what ‘Ice Typography’ hopes to convey:

The visual poetry in this series aims to subvert the authority of the English language and the commerce of signage by representing words as vulnerable and shifting. Ice Typography absorbs light, melts and eventually leaves no trace; these words have more in common with dreams and oral stories than linear language. 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.

Whether Nicole Dextras’ canvas is a park, sidewalk, or quiet, wintery terrain, her work is equally poignant for its juxtaposition of words against both natural and urban backdrops. To view more of her environmental installations, visit her website.

Nicole Dextras