In the series of wall drawings entitled Vertical Earthquake, Carlos Amorales refers to the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City which he witnessed at the age of fifteen. The earthquake destroyed a large part of the city and left thousands of victims. In the days after, the corrupted Mexican government manifested itself and the Mexican citizens took over the rescueing activities. The earthquake was crucial for Amorales in regard to both his political and his aesthetic development. The wall drawings are made by rotating jagged rulers and remind one of the fault lines in collapsed buildings. The drawings can be seen as an ode to this meaningful event in Carlos Amorales' artistic development.