A significant new public artwork has been installed at three sites across Saskatoon.
Calgary-based artist duo Sans façon (Charles Blanc and Tristan Surtees) created Modern Erratics by transforming discarded plastic waste into monumental public sculptures that connect Saskatchewan’s geological history with urgent contemporary conversations about sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Inspired by glacial erratic rocks scattered across the prairie landscape, the sculptures respectfully recreate these ancient geological forms using post-consumer plastics recovered from Saskatchewan and across the prairie region. The artworks were created using recycled grain bags, bottle caps, and broken residential waste carts – materials diverted from the landfill and transformed into permanent public artworks.
Creating the artworks was a very hands-on process. “Each little piece of plastic has passed through our hands many times and been given the care and attention a stonemason might give to selecting and working stone, a ceramist to clay, or a foundry to bronze and yet it’s plastic,” says Sans façon.
To create the sculptures, Sans façon scanned existing erratic rocks across Saskatchewan and developed custom fabrication processes capable of transforming discarded plastics into structural artistic material. More than 10,000 pounds of plastic waste were repurposed through over 5,500 hours of collaborative fabrication involving artists, engineers, fabricators, and municipal partners.
When conceiving of the project, the artists were moved by the fact that, in Canada, 87% of plastic waste ends up in landfills or the environment. They noted that they hope the work “invites people to reflect on what has shaped our landscape, and what future traces our current materials and systems will leave behind.”
"Modern Erratics encourages creativity and conversation by taking something familiar, such as prairie landscape rocks and recreating it in an unfamiliar way,” says Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability. “By transforming broken bins, bottle tops and grain bags sourced from the local community into sculptural objects, the artwork challenges assumptions about waste and highlights opportunities to extend the life of materials through reuse and recycling."
The project was developed through extensive consultation and collaboration, including guidance from Indigenous advisors, waste and recycling experts and community members. These conversations significantly influenced the direction of the work and reinforced the importance of approaching culturally significant landscapes with respect and care.
For more information:
- Watch a video about the making of Modern Erratics
- Read an essay about the artworks by Curator Michelle Jacques
- Learn more at saskatoon.ca/publicart
Visit the artworks!:
- The sculpture at Forestry Farm Park (1903 Forestry Farm Park Drive, near the Fishing Pond just off Caragana Trail) is made from recycled black and white plastic grain bags commonly used on prairie farms.
- The sculpture at Diefenbaker Park (St. Henry Avenue, near the Optimist Hill parking lot) is made from colourful recycled bottle caps provided by SARCAN, reflecting materials commonly discarded in city parks.
- The sculpture at Material Recovery Centre (42 Valley Road, near the Sort & Go exit), is constructed from decommissioned, shredded black, blue and green carts formerly used by households across the city.
