The most fascinating new public art installation in the GTA is not some impossible-to-understand think piece in downtown Toronto — it’s a vibrant carousel in Markham made from a hodgepodge of repurposed barrels, fenders, lids, tool boxes and other recycled materials.
The carousel officially opened to the public on Canada Day 2016, at 8080 Birchmount Rd., Markham, as a commission from the Remington Group, a development company. Two years in the making, it’s the brainchild of Canadian-born artist Patrick Amiot.
Patrick Amiot (right) poses with Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti (IMAGE: ALEX BROWNE)
Instead of traditional horses and chariots, this carousel has 44 unique mounts that all pay tribute to Canada.
“Every piece has a story if you pay attention and start looking,” Amiot said.
The carnivalesque cast of characters includes an aqua green mermaid, a Nova Scotia lobster, a mallard duck, Santa’s sled and a moon made from a satellite dish. The Canadian connection is not always evident, but it’s always there (in the case of the sled, Amiot pointed out that Santa’s postal code — H0H 0H0 — is Canadian).
“When you’re trying to describe Canada, it can be subtle,” Amiot said. “It’s not all Mounties and beavers and moose.”
Amiot, who is known for his large sculptures made from “junk,” is a former Toronto resident and a longtime exhibitor at Yorkville’s Loch Gallery. Currently, he lives in Sebastopol, an artist-friendly town in California. On his property, he keeps a large supply of abandoned and donated materials, which he refers to as his “library.” His work, in part, is a commentary on wastefulness.
(IMAGE: ALEX BROWNE)
“With all respect to our upcoming generation, we have to change our ways,” he says. “They’ll have to deal with this type of approach more and more. There are so many abandoned resources out there.”
The carousel’s skeleton and machinery were designed by the renowned Brass Ring Carousel Company. In keeping with Amiot’s sustainable ethos, the carousel is solar powered.
“Now that it’s all done, it seems pretty crazy,” Amiot said. “I don’t think I could do this again.”
