Naked Effort to Harpoon Mural Fails : Art: Council supports artist despite getting copies of 1981 article showing him painting nude model.

The artist Wyland’s plans to cover the curving walls of the Long Beach Arena with the largest whale mural in the world have been controversial from the start.

Schoolchildren and Wyland boosters have trooped to City Hall to say how wonderful his work is, while others have denounced his airbrush paintings as oversized schlock.

This week--as the Laguna Beach artist was applying the first waves of blue paint to the arena--an anonymous opponent decided to stir things up further. Someone sent the mayor and City Council copies of an old magazine layout that featured a sometimes-shirtless Wyland in a number of suggestive poses with a nude model.

Appearing in a 1981 issue of Cheri, the layout purported to show Wyland at work, painting a nude of the woman. It was liberally illustrated with photographs, including some of simulated sex.

“I was somewhat shocked when I read it,” Mayor Ernie Kell said. “I didn’t have any idea he was in that type of art as well. It’s disappointing. . . . It’s certainly a different image than he’s portrayed to us.”

Despite some public complaints about Wyland’s artistic style, city leaders have enthusiastically endorsed the 116,000-square-foot mural, which Wyland is painting for free with volunteer help and donated materials.

That support seemed to remain even after the article arrived in council offices Monday and Tuesday in unmarked brown envelopes.

“I didn’t see it had anything to do with the artistic creation of whales,” said Councilman Warren Harwood, who unsuspectingly opened his envelope during Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Even Vice Mayor Jeffrey A. Kellogg, a conservative Republican, dismissed the photos of Wyland and the model. “There’s no real connection,” said Kellogg, the mural’s chief proponent.

Wyland, a boyish-looking 35-year-old who has painted 32 marine murals around the world, speculated that the layout had been mailed by a jealous opponent.

“I’m working on the wall. I’m not a politician. I think this is really ridiculous,” Wyland said after descending from scaffolding. “I’m an artist. Michelangelo painted nudes too.”

Regarding the nature of the photos, he said: “They tried to create a story. . . . I don’t have editorial control.”

While officials remained low-key, one Wyland critic said she thought the reaction would have been different had the matter surfaced earlier.

“We have an awful lot of bluenoses in this town and a lot of people who are opposed to anything liberal,” said V. Faure Rilliet, a retired teacher.