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- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasEnvironmental artist <a href="http://www.nicoledextras.com/index.php?/wordswinter/about-ice-typography/">Nicole Dextras</a> builds giant words made of ice in the heart of vulnerable and often cold landscapes. She does this by constructing wooden letter frames anywhere from 18 inches to 8 feet tall that she then fills with water and leaves outside to freeze. Two weeks later, once the words are solid, Dextras removes the frames and leaves her <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/okamoto-studio-carves-14-ice-sculptures-for-a-grace-ful-installation-in-midtown-manhattan/">frozen sculptures</a> at the sun's mercy. Eventually they melt - which she says subverts the power of the English language and commercial signage by depicting how vulnerable they are. Hit the jump to learn more about these incredible monuments of folly, which have been erected on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ontario">Lake Ontario</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon_River">Yukon River</a>, and in downtown Toronto.1
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasNicole Dextras aims to subvert the power of the English language2
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasThe environmental artist creates giant words made of ice3
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasThe ice sculptures are then placed in vulnerable landscapes (it once seemed logical to cut down these amazing trees)4
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasShe fills wooden frames with water and allows them to freeze5
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasSometimes she adds a little food coloring6
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasAfter 2 weeks, she removes the wooden frames7
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasThe resulting ice sculptures are then left to the sun's mercy8
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasUsually it doesn't take long for the words to melt9
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasThese sculptures have been placed on the Yukon River, Lake Ontario, and this one is in downtown Toronto10
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasIt's amazing how something so vulnerable can also be so powerful11
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasWe especially love the city installations12
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasThe fragile ice juxtaposed against a "degraded" city wall makes such a powerful statement13
- Giant Ice Words by Nicole DextrasThe VIEW project on Lake Ontario took one month to complete14