Created in 2008, this 12 foot sculpture representing a goalie for Team Canada, was originally envisioned for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and has finally made it to its destination.
When the Montreal-born artist discovered that the Olympics would be held in Vancouver, his former residence, he was compelled to create this homage to hockey. “The point was to make it a symbolic piece, nostalgic in nature,” shares Amiot who needed one month to assemble the sculpture from various bits and bobs including: an old swing set, oil drums, trailer and tractor parts, milk cans, skidoo parts and 10 license plates from all the Canadian provinces.
“The piece is not manufactured but comprised of found objects that are essentially junk,” adds Amiot whose pride triggers an emotional response in regards to the sustainability of his oeuvre. As an urban folk art sculptor who focuses on using recycled material as his “canvas”, Patrick Amiot and his wife, Bridgette an artist as well, have created 350 large-scale outdoor sculptures which decorate their adopted home of 12 years, Sebastopel, California.
“This piece arose out of my romantic memories of Canada,” says the self-taught artist who draws from a vivid cast of characters referencing his Canadian past including iconic Canadian symbols: moose, bears, and of course hockey greats. “I pride myself on the fact that I was born the night that Jacques Plante first put his mask on,” he chuckles.
Patrick Amiot, whose work can be found in many corporate and private collections throughout the world, is regarded as an iconic sculptor of Canadiana and “the boy who made good” in Vancouver, gives his old stomping grounds yet another gift in celebration of the city’s role as an Olympic venue.
He is represented by the Loch Galleries in Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg and is currently working on a piece featuring a fictitious character, Kootenay Joe, a moose that rides a motorcycle saving the natural habitat and wildlife around him.
“I make people smile with the stories I tell through junk.” Let the games begin!
By Kayleigh Osness, Loch Gallery
