Too
often we define nature as a separate entity from humans, ignoring that we are a
part of the natural world. In Process, Place, Perception, Troy Nickle’s
thoughtful installations bring a fresh nuance to our understanding of natural
processes and what we interpret as art.
Nickle challenges our connection with nature and culture, bridging the
gaps in our relationships with the natural world.
Nickle’s
body of work has an understanding of the ecosystem from which it was formed; he
acknowledges environmental impact and future implications through his choice of
materials. The many materials used in his pieces are not chosen on a whim, but
are part of his artistic process. Nickle encounters the materials, like the
plant species goldenrod, yarrow, or wild rose (some of the many species used in
his installation) on walks and hikes while exploring Lethbridge or other parts
of southern Alberta. He makes his selection, but waits until the individual
plant has set its seed and dried and only then does he take a portion for his
work.
Some of these plants are found in After
the First Snow Fall, in which Nickle has situated twenty-six pieces (12
distinctive species) of dried plants such that they extrude from the wall as if
reaching out to the viewer. Numerous shadows feather out from the lifeless
plants in a spirited fashion, mimicking the life that once existed. This piece
disrupts the usual interactions we have with plants, often looked down upon by
us, but now facing us at eye level, inviting us in. By challenging our normal
perception of the natural world, Nickle has highlighted our general disregard
for those small plants and the value they hold.
Similarly, Goldenrod Doodle, reaches
out from the wall, although the twisted goldenrod has taken on a new form. Due
to a fly larva, an engorged gull is now a part of each plant, the plants are twisted
and gnarly as if ignoring the shape and order imposed upon it on the wall.
Nickle’s arrangement of the materials provides the viewer with a new way of
seeing. By elevating and creating structure with the natural materials within
the gallery, it challenges the viewer to change their perception of what art
can be.
His piece, Endless, stands in the
corner of the gallery as if a somber reminder of the past and of things to
come. Endless pays homage to The Endless Column by Constantin
Brâncuși, symbolizing "Infinite Sacrifice.” Reflecting Brâncuși in form, Endless is a tower of rhomboidal shapes,
constructed with drift wood pieces. Nickle’s sculpture brings a material
like wood to the forefront, a material that can break down, illuminating the ceaseless
ephemeral processes of nature. The structure itself is reflective, possibly symbolizing
a stupa (Buddhist shrine), or simply bestowing the gallery with a drift wood
cairn. It is this uncertainty that context can impose, thus the viewer is
encouraged to take from their own experience, and to think carefully about what
the shape, structure, and materials mean to them.
In
Process, Place, Perception, Troy Nickle’s installations echo a spiritual sense
of understanding; each piece is contemplative and meditative, and open to
interpretation. Nickle has put our interactions with nature at the fore,
questioning our understanding of life, and our role within it. Nickle provides
us with opportunity to look upon nature in an altered context, re-envisioning
our relationship to the natural world.
Essay by Nicole Ensing
All images and artwork by Troy Nickle
This work titled, "All Time is Now," was part of the public space component of my exhibition with the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art. The work was situated at the Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park in Kelowna, B.C.
