Oracle, Arizona Wyland Whaling Wall 34

History of the Oracle, Arizona Wyland Whaling Wall 34

-Ocean Biosphere

Biosphere 2 invited Wyland to paint his next mural at their project site in Oracle, Arizona. Biosphere 2 was an experiment in Arizona in the early 1990s to create a closed ecological system to test the viability of humans living in outer space. The project had come to the artist’s attention while participating in a satellite conference call with ocean scientist Abigail Ailing, who was at the Biosphere 2 during an educational exchange at the Orange County Marine Institute. Biosphere 2 had a miniature ocean and a living reef within its 3-acre structure. During the teleconference, Dr. Ailing explained that the scientists were visited by a family of Pacific bottlenose dolphins during the time they were collecting coral and fish for the reef project.

“Storytelling sometimes plays a big part in the painting of my murals,’ Wyland said. “And I felt that re- creating the spirit of the special visit by the dolphins helped reinforce why the Biosphere 2 project was so important. The Biospherians were able to view the entire mural start-to-finish from a live video monitor. During the course of the project, the artist was visited by television and film icon Lloyd Bridges and his son, Beau, who painted additional marine life on the mural with Wyland. “Lloyd couldn’t help painting “Sea Hunt Lives” on my pants,” Wyland said.

More to consider

• A chief goal of Biosphere 2 was to explore the viability of life in a closed system. A concern was the buildup of carbon dioxide emissions.
• Earth’s oceans are powerful regulators of our climate, absorbing over 30% of the planet’s CO2 emissions.
• Coral reefs act as nurseries for vast numbers of marine species. Yet, these reefs are especially vulnerable to climate change and are at an increasing risk from pollution. By the 1990s, over 50% of the world’s reefs were severely threatened by human activities, including pollution and rising sea temperatures.
• In addition to its work on watershed and ocean health, Wyland Foundation exhibits and classroom activities also focus on how climate change is affecting the sustainability of our oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands, with common-sense strategies for reducing our impact.

Whaling wall 34

Biosphere 2, Oracle, Arizona
110 Feet Long x 30 Feet High
Dedicated April 18, 1993

By the late Lloyd Bridges, Actor

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