Image of the sculpture “Metal Horse at the Brookdale Commercial Plaza” by Jean Pierre Schoss - Dog Bite Steel located at Brookdale Centre, 1105 Kingston Rd., Pickering

About the Artwork

The Metal Horse at the Brookdale Commercial Plaza is the work of the talented artist, Jean Pierre Schoss, from Dog Bite Steel. Like all the other works that are typically made by Schoss, this horse has been constructed from old scrap and used metal. In its design, a seat typically seen on old tractors has been affixed to the horse’s back, a chain has been affixed to its hindquarters to act as a tail, the centre of the horse’s body has an old steering wheel put in place. It seems primarily cobbled together from tractor parts, which pays homage to the fact that tractors were built to perform the tasks that horses were once used for. However, as a whole, it uses farming equipment in its construction, showing that horses were once heavily intertwined with farming, before the industrial revolution. Not only this, but it also can be seen as a suitable representation of the farmers and hired help that put their time and energy into producing the foods sold in the commercial plaza in which the sculpture stands.

About the Artist

“I use recycled materials for a number of reasons. First, it is our responsibility to contribute to this world in as many ways as possible. Garbage is a great place to start.

Oil tanks are costly to cut up and recycle so the scrap yards don’t want them. I began using oil tanks, water tanks and propane tanks to save money because the steel was so expensive. I soon realized what I was doing. The recycling had become part of my life.

I began to look for more items that could be recycled into my work. If it is thick enough to last for years and years then I am interested. People bring me all sorts of things. I drag things out of the ditches some times and then the earth feels better! I drain the tanks of the sludge and oil and take it to the recycling depot. There is quite a process to getting the steel ready for the sculpture.

The material has a lot of character and always tells a life story. It has a lot more to say than a big, expensive sheet of new grey steel. Some tanks have many layers and colors of paint on them from being painted over the years to match houses and cottages.

Some of my work involves old tools, steps from antique carriages and 70 year old manure spreaders.

I never see just a steel object. I see the new life waiting to come out of it.”

To learn more about the artist, visit Jean’s website.

View the location of this piece on the Public Art Map.