Philippe Petit
Philippe Petit
Philippe Petitis a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, on the morning of August 7, 1974. For his unauthorized feat1,350 feetabove the ground, he rigged a 450-poundcable and used a custom-made 26-footlong, 55-poundbalancing pole. He performed for 45 minutes, making eight passes along the wire. The following week, he celebrated his 25th birthday. All charges were dismissed in exchange for him doing a...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPerformance Artist
Date of Birth13 August 1949
CityNemours, France
CountryFrance
If you see how carefully I prepare for any kind of walk, legal or illegal, small or big, you will see that, actually, I narrow the unknown to virtually nothing. And that's when I am ready to walk on the wire.
I, like everybody else, have a certain fear of heights, and I have to be very careful when I am in the clouds, but it is also what I love; it is my domain, so when you love something, you don't have fear.
On a very long and very high wire, I will not hope to not be blown off by high winds. I will have the certitude that such could not happen.
I keep saying I am an auto-didact, but I have a lot of outside influences. One I could cite is juggler Francis Brunn, who was the first man to throw ten rings in the air; he was really an amazing juggler who showed onstage the quest for perfection.
I love to remember the World Trade Centre walk, but it should not define me.
I walk on the wire; it's my profession, and there are no two high wire walks alike.
I've frowned at the idea of breaking records, the first one to do something, or do it longer, higher, more difficult.
It's very normal - when you're not used to the world of the high wire, it's very normal to be simply terrified. The reason I'm not is because I've done it for so many years.
Talking about theater, actually, I built a little barn in upstate New York, and I call it 'the smallest theater in the world,' but it has a mini stage and a red velvet curtain.
Art is maybe a subversive activity. There is a certain rebellion when you are an artist at heart, even if only in the art of living.
When a loved one disappears, you continue to live with the accompaniment of that person. One has to find a balance between joy and sorrow.
An intellectual challenge presents itself? I am in bliss. Instantly, it brings forth the notion of triumph.
When I was six years old, I fell in love with magic. For Christmas, I got a magic box and a very old book on card manipulation. Somehow, I was more interested in pure manipulation than in all the silly little tricks in the box.
Everybody wanted me to be rich and famous on my art. And I said no to all the commercials and all the seedy offers.