A Whale, and It's About to Set Sail

California license plates will go without Wyland whale tail 1

Some 126,000 California license plates sport a whale tail designed by artist Robert Wyland, but the famed marine muralist is now withdrawing his permission for the state to use the art. A few months ago, Wyland asked the California Coastal Commission to donate 20 percent of profits from the plate to his ocean-conservation group. The commission, which directs the $15 or so it receives from each specialty plate to state conservation programs, says that's "outrageous"; they say Wyland gave the state rights to the whale tail in a 1994 "handshake deal" with no strings attached. Wyland disagrees: "I was being very generous in allowing them to ... borrow one of my images for a period of time." The state Department of Motor Vehicles has begun searching for a replacement artist.

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  1. pablomelendez Posted 10:52 pm
    25 Jun 2008

    I thought that design was ugly anyway.I never thought that tail looked right with all the numbers on top. I prefer the plain California plates, myself, because they are white and iridescent.  They reflect a lot of light making my car more visible and therefore safer.  I hope the next designer keeps the plates white.  How about just changing the numbers to green instead of black?  that would make the plate brighter.  

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