Nicole Dextras
Invasive species strive in un-tended areas such as ditches, abandoned lots and under bridges.
weedrobes an ecological identity
environment | activism by nicole dextras
In the past five years my focus as an artist has been to create environmental art and ephemeral installations based on the principles of a socially engaged art practice committed to sustainable methodologies. The Weedrobes series started in 2005 as an experiment in making garments from leaves and flowers. Garments as links between the body and the land have evolved into a series that also examines consumerism, the fashion industry and the constructed landscape. Weedrobes garments are made with a high degree of craftsmanship and attention to detail to mimic actual clothing. On closer examination it is apparent that the garment is constructed from leaves and flowers held together with thorns.The ephemeral nature of each piece parallels the vulnerability and fragility of our eco-system. In the case of Weedrobes , wearing nature emphasises the fundamental link between humans and the natural environment while focusing on the implications of throw-away consumer goods. In my mother’s ladies-clothing store as a child I learned to discern quality garments and the importance of shopping locally. Later in my teens, I witnessed firsthand the poor working conditions in garment factories and the effects of chemicals used in treating fabrics, while working one summer in a non-union
sweatshop. After graduating from Emily Carr University of Art in 1986, I worked for ten years as a freelance costume designer for local contemporary theatre and dance companies.These experiences have culminated in Weedrobes where a garment not only acts as an identity signifier but also as a ground for environmental concerns. Each Weedrobes project has three stages. It begins as a wearable sculpture constructed from organic and renewable plant materials. It is then photographed with a model in a landscaped urban setting emphasising the impact of humans on the natural environment.The third stage consists of videoed public interventions in shopping areas where the garment wearer engages passers-by on issues of consumerism, eco-textiles and branding. The photographs and video are for exhibition, and the original garment is returned to a garden or park and left to decompose over time. Weedrobes proposes that a consumer’s most effective tool for change is to demand more equitable products. It is a cross- disciplinary art project, equally at home in the gallery, on the runway and on the streets but it begins by looking at and digging in our own backyards. g
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