A New Exhibition at the Lethbridge Public Library

Yellow Field

I used clay collected from the river which was rubbed on the trees in
bands, then attached yellow leaves collected from the field below

Earth- Art- Walk

I will be hosting a slide presentation and working with interpreters to offer a guided walk at the Helen Schuler Nature Center on Sunday the 20th from 2pm to 3 pm. There will be a 15 minute slide presentation and a 45 minute walk through the park to view the site specific works created for the Earth- Art- Walk project.

Earth- Art- Walk

Earth- Art- Walk is a self-guided walking tour through the Helen Schuler Nature Center of site-specific environmental sculptures by local artist Troy Nickle. The numbers on the map correspond to the numbered works listed below.

This exhibition is part of the centennial celebrations for the Highlevel Bridge, but was conceived as an alternative context for the bridge, it’s history and it’s landscape. “Earth- Art- Walk” celebrates the landscape from which the bridge rises, and was created with a philosophy of natural harmony and environmental sensitivity.
This project wouldn’t be possible without the assistance and consent of the Helen Schuler Nature Center.
-Bowman Arts Centre, August, 2009

Artist Statement

Through creating ephemeral and figurative site-specific interventions I hope to explore a relationship to the land that reflects balance, harmony and impermanence. I find wider social relationships can be explored in contexts beyond the gallery walls. For me the landscape is part of the work and provides a greater environment in which to interpret its meaning. Through my work I try to bring a new awareness and expression to a place. I consider each intervention as a marker, which can become a point of interest along a traveled path or simply embrace the site. Much of my work exists temporarily, overtime the work eventually decays, erodes and falls back into the site from which it came. This is part of the overall process of the work, reflecting the impermanence of all living things in a natural cycle both of creation and eventual destruction. Usually the destruction of the material is only a transformation where the material then takes on a new life, providing nourishment for the soil or a habitat for a small creature.

1. Seed

Fallen branches collected and stacked.

2. Populus

Soil collected from ground and mixed with water to create mud which was rubbed on tree and sculpted into face

3. Resonate (before and after)

4. Untitled

Drawing made from charcoal collected from a fire pit.

Populus 2

river clay on cottonwood

6.Untitled

7. Untitled

Beyond Mesopotamia

I collected driftwood sticks along the shore of this island created by the river. The soft earth allowed me to stand the sticks into the sand and clay. I would weave longer strands of young flexible branches through the driftwood sticks to define the form of a vessel. I decided after some time to include a figure. Applying sand and clay to a stick from a beaver dam I was able to create the head, torso and leg of the body. Additional sticks were used for two arms and the other leg.

Vessel

walking along the shore, a warm summer's day
flowing river, driftwood, mud, bushes
wandering, exploring materials and earth
collecting, placing, bending, walking, floating
a voyager and wanderer

Presence

The outline of her body lying flat on the landscape
the shape defined using driftwood and water.

Starring into the sky, between heaven and earth.

The Seed, the Tree and the Rain Man

This installation was created for the Ruin and Reclamation exhibition. My body was the template for the figure on the wall which was rubbed on with mud. The tree limb is a clipping from an apple tree and the soil is from the garden in our backyard. I found an abandon chunk of cement in the basement where i was creating the installation and decided to include it. To create continuity and ambiguity I covered the cement chunk with mud. I feel as though I am like a director creating a scene with objects to build narrative and explore relationships. I want this work to reflect the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.

Continuum

As I was walking along the river contemplating an intervention I noticed a pool of water on the shore in the shape of a flat oval. I decided to reinforce this shape to make it more pronounced and symmetrical by adding stones around it. I also decided that it would be interesting to create a loop by adding an island of stones in the middle. It took me about an hour to pile the stones into the pool because it was over a foot deep in the center. Once i had accomplished this I decided to add stones to the pool directly above to accentuate a circle. I am pleased with the way this piece worked out.

Nest

Grass Line