Environmental activism can take many forms. Some opt for aggressive sensationalism, others appeal to their governments for action, while some simply lead by example in their own personal actions. For Canadian artist Nicole Dextras, activism takes the form of art. In her Weedrobes series of ephemeral sculptures – composed of materials such as hydrangea flowers, magnolia leaves, thorns, yucca leaves, crab apples, and hemp thread – Nicole presents a fascinating take on wearable art. Through her sculptures, Nicole explores the dysfunctional relationship between people’s bodies, the fashion industry and the environment, questioning the attitudes towards dominance and the need for excessiveness in society.
What was your childhood dream?
When I was young I was always putting on shows and making costumes. I did not want to be an actress but I loved getting a concept and getting all my friends involved. I don’t think any of my childhood friends would be surprised to see where I am now.
Was there a particular event in your life that sparked your passion for the environment?
I have been interested in issues about the fashion industry since my childhood days, growing up in my mother’s ladies-clothing store where I learned to discern quality garments and the importance of shopping local. Later in my teens, I spent a summer working in a non-union sweatshop and I witnessed firsthand the poor working conditions in garment factories. I also became aware of the chemicals used in treating fabrics, from friends who worked in textile mills. These experiences shaped me as a young adult and I sought to create my own personal sense of style instead of following trends. When I began my environmental-art practice, it seemed a logical step for me to incorporate my interest in fashion into a nature-based methodology.
What fuels your creativity?
Taking risks and trying new things. I have always tried to be original. This is a challenge because it seems that everything has already been done in art. Many younger artists feel that there is no point in even trying to be original since they are so bombarded with imagery, but I try to stay away from what is trendy at the moment in art and I have endeavoured to create work that reflects who I am.
What do you wish to educate people about through your environmental art?
I choose to work with ephemeral materials because it represents the basic dilemma between man and nature, where man’s fundamental need for security and stability lies in deep contrast to nature’s primary function of change and renewal. The temporary nature of the garments I create is symbolic of both our vulnerability and our creative adaptability. The Weedrobes philosophy is based on being a free thinker; not giving in to trends and brand names, and making a statement that humans are not divorced from nature.
What makes environmental art different from other forms of social activism?
The basic difference between art and activism is that art can only hope to raise awareness on an issue, whereas activism hopes to achieve concrete change. I am more interested in how we think about the environment than changing laws, because our motivation for change has to be genuine to effect real change.
What has been the most confronting experience you’ve had as part of your work?
I make large installations in ice and last winter I created a piece in the Yukon, near the Arctic Circle. My ice collapsed in a matter of minutes after working on it in sub-zero weather for two months. My work with ice has become more and more difficult with climate change.
What has been the greatest challenge you have had to overcome? For artists there are nothing but challenges, but the greatest of all is overcoming our own self-doubt. I believe that everyone has the capacity for being creative but most do not get past the self-doubt stage. This is why I believe artists to be the most courageous people. Everyday we have to have an answer to questions such as ‘what am I doing this for?’, because the lack of money, support, opportunities, the fierceness of competition and the fickleness of the art world will discourage you at every turn.
What made you not give up? I am very tenacious and plus I had no other real talents. I had nothing else to fall back on, which goes against the logic that you should have a plan B in case the artistic thing does not work out. The fault with that logic is that it presupposes that you are likely to fail. In my case, I made a vow of poverty when I entered art school. I had already been surviving on minimum wages and I figured if I could live like that then I might as well be doing what I love, instead of being a sales clerk.
Why do you care? This is a very interesting question, one that I have asked myself many a time. Not only why do I care, but also why do so many others not care at all? We can change our laws and force people to be more environmentally efficient but if they continue not to care, what is the point? For me I guess it is a combination of my sensitive nature and my life experiences, which have taught me to care about other people and the environment. Our actions affect the world around us.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by a wide variety of art forms. I love wild and unwearable haute couture because it keeps pushing the confines of fashion. It is a vehicle for creative designers to showcase their talent, but unfortunately it is also big business, so I don’t really follow it. But if I need inspiration I will spend hours in a magazine shop looking at images. I have also been influenced by high-concept fashion and fine-art photography. The work of Evergon, Pierre et Gilles and Sally Mann are favourites. I look to environmental artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Nils-Udo to fire up my imagination. I am also influenced by outrageous fashion in cinema, in particular the fashion-show sequence in David Byrne’s 1986 film True Stories, and a scene in the 1992 film Orlando, with an excessively wide pannier dress.
Do you believe in a god and, if so, which one? My philosophy is more akin to Zen Buddhism, though I do not follow any organised religions. My goddess is nature.
What is your dream now? I would love to have my Weedrobes in a large fashion show based on sustainability and the environment.
What are you words of wisdom?
The intention of my work is to foster an awareness of nature because it is the single-most important step towards helping our planet. Since the age of reason, we have been getting bogged down in creating laws and governance, but we have never overcome our need to control. Saving this planet will necessitate a certain letting go of control, which will require a major shift in our mind set. It is a radical shift. It is not a matter of letting go and letting everything go to rack and ruin – it is a matter of letting go and letting nature tell us what it needs. We only have to open our eyes and ears.
Interview by Mikki Brammer
