Inspired by the history and future of seismic activity in the Pacific Northwest, Orphan is a collaborative project with artist John Grade. Orphan draws inspiration from natural landscapes impacted by seismic activity as well as a range of cultural narratives related to earthquakes, the tectonic history of the Pacific Northwest and beyond and how that information comes together in our modern understanding of our environment.

In 1700 a subduction zone earthquake along the coast of the Pacific Northwest caused a series of giant waves to break along the east coast of Japan. Because the Japanese did not know where these waves came from at that time it was referred to as an “orphan” tsunami.

The sculpture is sited adjacent the entry to the new headquarters for the Oregon State Treasury building in Salem, OR that will also serve as the State’s emergency management headquarters in the event of a natural disaster. The sculpture is kinetic but moving at a pace too slow to see change in any single viewing. The sculpture gradually moves by means of engagement with the front door of the building. Each time a visitor opens the door, a mechanical system is engaged that transfers a small portion of this human energy toward an incremental movement of the sculpture; bringing the two forms closer together or further apart within a repeating loop. Each movement cycle will take three to four months.