One Horse Power

One Horse Power was installed at 1700 Zents Drive on June 11 as part of the unveiling of Pickering Fire Services Headquarters Opening.

The corner of Zents Drive and Brock Road acts as a gateway and marker to the Seaton Community. The artwork is located between the front entrance of the facility and Brock Road, and highly visible to pedestrians and motorists.

Seaton is a vibrant community being developed in central Pickering. It Is planned to accommodate 70,000 new residents and 35,000 new jobs. Master-planning for this community began in 2015 with the construction of infrastructure for water, sewers, roads, power, gas, and telecommunications.

In April 2022, the City of Pickering released a Call to Artists asking creatives to broadly consider local nature and wildlife, and the rapidly developing community in Seaton. 46 artists from across Canada and the USA submitted expressions of interest. After careful consideration, the Jury, the Cultural Advisory Committee, and the Public Art Sub Committee shortlisted the top three artists, from which Bermingham Studio Inc. was awarded the commission.

About the Artwork

Artist Patrick Bermingham from Bermingham Studio Inc. created the proposal to pay tribute to the work horse, the original unit of power. Patrick reflects “with a single horsepower, so much was accomplished in a short space in time,” highlighting that the work horse represents a time when human and horse worked closely together in synergy.

The style of the proposed sculpture is to be highly dynamic, not high realism. The artist intends for passers-by to feel the determination of the horse, conveying strength and beauty through perseverance. As the Seaton neighborhood continues to grow, this steel guardian will remind visitors and residents of the power required to get the job done, back then and today.

About the Artist

Patrick Bermingham is an internationally-recognized artist whose career spans decades. With a BFA in Sculpture, Bermingham has studied with and apprenticed with several renowned artists, including Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook, Sir Anthony Caro and Tim Scott. Bermingham participated in the first Canadian Wildlife exhibition in 1974 together with Robert Bateman and A.J. Casson. Bermingham frequently travels to Chile to work in the studio of Francisco Gazitua, whose large scale public installations and sculptures can be seen in multiple countries, including three iconic public sculptures in Toronto and several in Chile. Bermingham has exhibited his work in the United States and Canada and recently completed a commission for the International Operating Engineers Union, Local 793 and created a memorial garden honouring the over 30 fallen members of the union. Bermingham also created a memorial sculpture for Lee Academy to honour an 11-year-old student who died tragically in 2011.

To learn more, visit the Bermingham Studio Inc. website.

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