LOOK AT THIS is a weekly series featuring the work of Canadian artists, designers and creators of all sorts.

Name: Michel de Broin

Born: Montreal, 1970

Lives and works: Montreal

These works: De Broin makes monumental sculptures that comment on the way we consume (and waste) our resources. His creations often play on aspects of the mechanical world, and the way old and new technology affects us. In Blowback, two replicas of Howtizer cannons have their barrels bent until they become one unit, in a move that de Broin calls "amorous sabotage." A set of 36 tables assembled together, called Testudo, looks defensive, with the legs all pointed outward (the name means "tortoise" in Latin, a reference to a Roman military formation). Shared Propulsion Car is a vehicle you drive by pedalling with your feet sticking out of the bottom — a playful riff on Fred Flintstone's ride and a comment on recycling and sustainability.

Why he might be familiar: On October 25, 2007, a few drivers of de Broin's Shared Propulsion Car were taking a leisurely joyride down Toronto's Queen St. W., when they were pulled over by Toronto Police. The car was deemed unsafe and towed away. You can watch the whole thing as it went down here.

On the road not taken: De Broin told Strombo.com, "When I was young I wanted to be a garbage man. I didn't know it was possible to live from art."

Next year, de Broin's work will be on display in New York from March to August at the International Studio and Curatorial Program.