Artistic crimes’ culprit

“When I see three oranges, I juggle; when I see two towers, I walk,” Philippe Petit says.

The famous tightrope-walking Frenchman earned his notoriety at the age of 24 with one of the largest and most daring publicity stunts in history: crossing the gap between the Twin Towers in New York City in 1974 on a steel wire — and without a safety net, 110 stories above the ground.

Since then, he’s become known as a prolific Renaissance man with interests in magic, storytelling, bullfighting, engineering and pick-pocketing.

Petit will perform at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Saturday night, offering peek into his mind, feats and talents. No high wire will be strung across the seats, but the night is a satisfying glimpse into the mind of the man who committed the “artistic crime of the century.”

His World Trade Center act yielded him an Oscar-winning documentary in last year’s “Man on Wire.”

On Aug. 7, 1974, Petit and some friends strung a 60-meter wire between the towers’ roofs, then walked back and forth eight times, for 45 minutes. People on the street stopped and stared, and police and security guards glared in consternation before arresting him. All charges were dropped.

Like Yoda, Petit claims that there is no “why” — only do.

“The honest answer is that I wasn’t trying to accomplish anything. I did not know in advance that I would spend more or less 45 minutes in the air. I did not know I’d [walk back and forth] eight times. That was not planned. I think that was why this performance was so far from what the world had seen at the time.

“I had nothing to accomplish, in the same way I still don’t have an answer to the ‘why’ that all the journalists ask me. Probably the most beautiful part of the event is that there was no why,” he said.

He has since repeated the stunt everywhere from Notre Dame in Paris to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

He hopes his road show will evoke such blind courage in attendees.

“I will inspire you and I will let you believe that you could, yourself, walk the tight rope, as well,” he said.

If You Go

Who: Philippe Petit

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine

Cost: $25

Information: (949) 854-4646 or thebarclay.org