leaves willow lichen nicole dextras
F orest Warrior is a wearable sculpture shaped as a large androgynous cloak on wheels, which holds native plants and seedlings. The ethos of this piece is a botanical conservation anti-superhero wandering the landscape protecting native plants – a champion tree-planter cape fit for the legacy of Joseph Beuys’ Seven Thousand Oaks project. It also points to the lack of green space in modernist urban design. The sculpture can act as a stand-alone piece in an exhibition and or be animated by a performer. In a gallery opening or event setting Forest Warrior can engage with the public by handing out tree saplings or it can activate an outdoor guerilla style intervention by attempting to plant tree saplings into the cracks of pavement as a gesture of reclaiming the built environment. Forest Warrior adapts to the local environment it is exhibited in by incorporating native tree plants of the region into the cape. The principle design element in this piece is based on a folding honeycomb cellular structure. The integral flexibility and the pragmatic compact portability of this structure will help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the piece. I have adapted paper folding and origami techniques to both the cape armature and the inner components. The armature’s base is a half elliptical shape constructed out of wood with vertical ribs gathering at the neckline. It is supported by casters and it breaks down into lightweight components for travel. The cape’s three-dimensional skin is fabricated out of recycled tent cloth and oilskin fabric, cut and sewn into folding and expanding diamond shaped cones. These various sized compartments hold native plants and seedlings forming a bushy, lacy silhouette primarily around the head and shoulders. This composition alludes to the lavish neck ruffs of sixteenth century male dress, which ironically grew to such outlandish proportions that they were banned in Spain under Philip IV because they were seen to diminish the manly vigor of the wearer. For this reason my focus is on a gender-neutral wearable project that explores the garment more as a sculpture than traditional clothing. The foundation for this new piece is rooted in my Urban Foragers {house of eco drifters} series, which consists of three large dresses that transform into portable shelters and gardens. Their aim is to support a sustainable lifestyle for the new urban nomad by growing one’s own food supply and building community through public engagement. During the production of the Urban Foragers series from 2011 and 2013, I developed many key concepts to my art practice such as supporting communal food resources and fabricating collapsible structures from sustainable materials. I bring all of these notions and expertise to bear in the creation of Forest Warrior , which also converts into a shelter by means of additional folding panels made from lightweight recycled fabric. These enclose the front of the cape and create a full elliptical tent shape.
forest warrior
When I initially began making garments from plant materials in 2006, I looked at historical European fashion as my point of departure in order not to reference or appropriate the designs of ancient cultures that have adorned themselves with plants throughout history. Even though my work was successful in many ways it led to a predominance of female clothing which sometimes detracted from my objective to create a link between the body and the environment. The Forest Warrior cape can be worn by men and women and has many associations with ritual, disguise and daring. Contemporary artists such as Nick Cave, Lucy McRae, Guerra de la Paz whose artworks often refer to the garment have greatly inspired me. My objective is to add to this collection of voices one that also presents issues of environmental conservation to the discourse. n
all images: www.nicoledextras.com
above: Forest Warrior , worn by Hunter Long, wanders in a dystopian landscape searching for suitable soil to plant his trees — photographed at WWU Western Gallery column,right: Forest Warrior is a prince among thieves: he rescues abandoned lots for trees and then distributes them to the public to plant in their gardens. facing page, left column: The wooden structure is based on a folding diamond grid for easy assemblage, storage and travel. Pockets are fabricated from a recycled canvas tent and the tree-planting seedling belt is made from oil cloth. middle column: Details of willow bark weaving for the vest. The inside and outside of bark gives different hues of brown.The neck ruffle is made with tree lichen, Lobaria pulmonaria , dried leaves and knitted Kibiso silk. column at far right: Forest Warrior ’s cape is filled with native plants such as the Blue Spruce seedling in top photo. Others seedlings include ferns, vines, grasses and shrubs.
On Site review 35 : the material culture of architecture
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