Artist Wants His Tail Off California Plates
The Laguna Beach artist who created California’s iconic whale-tail license plate is making a splash with state coastal officials, revoking the state’s right to use his art after they snubbed his request to share profits from the image with his environmental group.
Wyland, the marine muralist whose paintings of ocean life envelop buildings around the world, let the state use his hazy blue image of a whale’s flukes for environmentally themed license plates fourteen years ago in what state officials describe as a “handshake deal.” But Wyland says he allowed the use of his image for environmental causes for a period of time and that the time is up unless an agreement can be reached.
California earns about $3.77 million a year from the plates, but the Coastal Commission receives only a third of the funds: about $15 for each new plate sold; roughly $1.4 million a year. The rest goes to other state environmental programs. According to Coastal Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas, Wyland gave his image to the state unconditionally. Not so, says Wyland. Read the full story
Personally, I think Wyland may have erred in not getting something in writing at the onset and then waiting fourteen years to press the issue. What’s likely to happen? IMO, Wyland will either take the offer the Commission claims to have offered, or we’ll soon see a different whale tail on our license plates.
Doug
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I always side with the little guy when he is up against big business or government. I hope he wins what is fair. If he let the state use his art all these years, it is only fair that his environmental group share in the money it raises. That was the reason he offered it in the first place. Now California says his environmental group shouldn't share in the distribution of raised environmental funds? That doesn't even make sense. Government greed. They always think it is "their" money.
Maybe that seems fair now, but he should have been smart enough to get it in writing. You can never trust government or big corporations in a handshake deal.
He is an artist, not a businessman. California is smart enough to know there should be a written agreement and chose not to suggest one. They knew better. I think they just took advantage and should be made to pay a fair share.
It isn't anything special. I mean I could draw that. How much is a simple little thing like that worth anyway? The state could have had a child draw the tail.
Doesn't matter. It is his art, California has used it and made a lot of money from it, and failed to get in writing that it was given to them without condition. It would be unlikely that any artist who raises money for environmental causes through his own group would give California the right to use his art to raise money for the environment without expecting some of it to benefit his own environmental environmental cause. If California can't prove that wasn't the handshake deal, they owe his group $$ imho.
It seems to me that he is having second thoughts about giving California the picture now that he sees how much money its taking in from it and now he wants some of it. The fact that this is the first time he brought it up in 14 years supports the state government's claim that it was given with no strings. And now it sounds like California will just replace the picture with another tail.
We have that plate and we love it. I hope they don't change it.
With all do respect to Wyland who paints some impressive oceanographic murals, this little whale tail on the license plate is hardly worth all that. Call it a donation and deduct whatever you think the IRS will allow.
It just isn't that special. Come on, I could draw it, even after a bender.
I agree, it just isn't all that special. If he wants it off the license plates, then let the state put something else in its place.
I hear California is in need of a new "whale tail" for their environmental license plates. Here are a couple. They can probably use the one on the right for free.
ROFLMAO! That is funny! So that is called a whale tail? I see the resemblance!
Wants his tail off plates.... That's funny!
I say if he wants his little tail off the plates, take it off. It isn't like it will be hard to replace. Geez!