Controversial artist works up high in spite of fear of heights.
In this article, a famous New Bedford mural breeds controversy as this artist works to overcome his acrophobia.
Excerpt
Controversial artist works up high in spite of fear of heights.
By Joe Segura
presstelegram.com
However, the famed muralist did find himself trapped April 16 on a scaffold about 95 feet up, after a motor broke down.
Wyland admits to a fear of heights, but said he’s usually able to put it out of his mind. However, when the motor quit, the fear kicked into gear.
Wyland and two volunteers with him tried at first to make repairs, but rejected advice from the ground to unlock the motors and lower the scaffold by hand. Eventually, Wyland and the volunteers had to be rescued by Long Beach firefighters.
“I’m trying to save the whales, and they’re trying to rescue the whale artist,” he quipped.
That incident was about a week before the annual Long Beach Grand Prix, when Wyland enjoyed a panoramic view of the race. The work in progress attracted considerable attention from race fans and racers alike.