Coyote on Skateboard III
- Harry Fonseca, Maidu, American, 1946-2006
- Born: Sacramento, CA
- Work Locations: Santa Barbara, CA, Sacramento, CA, Santa Fe, NM
Harry Fonseca (Maidu), Coyote on Skateboard III, about 1985. Acrylic paint on canvas; 36 x 48 in. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Carl Patterson in Honor of Richard A. Haynes, 2015.71. Harry Fonseca (Maidu), Coyote on Skateboard III, about 1985. Acrylic paint on canvas; 36 x 48 in. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Carl Patterson in Honor of Richard A. Haynes, 2015.71. © 2016 Harry Fonseca Collection, Autry Museum of the American West
"Coyote" is a popular character in many native oral stories; he plays the role of a trickster and is often used to teach lessons to children. The artist adapted the character to represent aspects of contemporary life and the urban Indian. This painting shows coyote skateboarding along the beachfront in Santa Barbara, California, breaking the stereotype of who is an Indian and what an Indian can do.
