Seattle Press on Line - Giant Squid Takes up Residence in Pike Place Market

Giant Squid Takes up Residence in Pike Place Market

Pat Wickline with his sculpture. Todd Schmidt photo.

Jan 31, 2002 -- On February 7, the Pike Place Market and the local arts community will officially welcome the newest animal denizen to the Market's Commercial Building atrium. Created by the Seattle Press' own Pat Wickline, the life-size copper sculpture depicts a giant squid. The official dedication party will take place at 6 p.m. on February 7 during the First Thursday art walk. It will feature "squid snacks" by Kathy Casey, music by Amy Denio, a talk about squid biology by Dr. Roland Anderson, Puget Sound Curator of the Seattle Aquarium, and squid creation tales by the artist.

Already installed, the piece looks as if it swam out of the deeps and took up residence in the atrium, changing color to reflect the hues of its chosen home. "People have said it looks like it's always been there," Wickline said.

In November of 2000, Wickline was approached by the Pike Place Market to create a sculpture for the space. "I felt a responsibility to do something that was appropriate," he said, referring to the long history and tradition of the Market. He experimented with paper models, playing with ideas to use the tall, airy space of the atrium. The idea of the giant squid sprang from the mind of Kevin Tripp, a friend and fellow artist.

Todd Schmidt photo

Once introduced, the idea took on a life of its own. Squid: it fit with the themes of the Market seafood merchants and Asian food purveyors, the waterfront community and the Puget Sound environment, and the Aquarium nearby. Also, Wickline learned, the giant squid contains high levels of copper in its body, which made his favorite medium the perfect choice.

In the end, Wickline spent nine months producing the piece. "Making a 35-foot squid was an incredible challenge," he said. "I had to learn new metalworking techniques. I learned a process similar to how the Statue of Liberty was made, and learned to use a tool called and 'English wheel' that was originally used on British sports cars." The inner structure had to be engineered to meet the stringent requirements of overhead public art, and, because "no-one likes a droopy squid," Wickline taught himself a new metal laminating technique to strengthen the many arms. It was worth it, he reflects: "If I can make a life-size giant squid, I can make anything."

During the process of making squid motion drawings to use as a blueprint, Wickline absorbed hours of documentary footage, including one featuring "squid hunter" Dr. Clyde Roper of the Smithsonian Institute. He contacted Dr. Roper, and is currently working on another squid sculpture in collaboration with him. "I have always been fascinated by evolutionary biology," said Wickline. "Squids are called 'aliens from inner space.' What we can discover in the deep sea is far more amazing than spending billions to find microbes on Mars."

Other examples of Pat Wickline's work can be seen during Ballard's Second Saturday Art Walk at the Sev Shoon studio and gallery at 5200 Ballard Avenue NW, or at www.bendything.com.

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