Lithograph of Coyote in Tank Top and Sneakers [SOLD]

Harry Fonseca was an artist of Portuguese, Hawaiian and Nisenan-Maidu descent. He was born January 5, 1946 in Sacramento, California and was raised in Bryte, California. Fonseca attended local schools including California State University, Sacramento, where he majored in fine art with emphasis on "primitive" styles and forms. He passed away in December 2006.

Fonseca and his wife Sue moved to Albuquerque where they resided a number of years. It was during this time that he discovered "Coyote" and it became the motivation for his series of works around the fabled and universally appealing character. Coyote has strong historical ties to many Indian traditions and is ubiquitous among the tribes. Known as the "trickster," his acknowledged purpose has been to make fun, to provide a balance for all the serious tradition, to help let off a little steam and bring everything into focus.

Fonseca has wonderfully elaborated on this historical character. He has blown him up to larger-than-life-size, dressed him in the flashy garb of modern "cool," added glitter and placed him in familiar settings of today. 

This stone lithograph was issued by the Fonseca Studio.  It is signed Fonseca in lower left and numbered PPI (Printers Proof I) in lower right.  It is traditional in lithography for the printer who pulled the image to be given a specified number of the prints for his or her personal use.  Those are numbered PP for Printers Proof. 

The lithograph is floated on backing so that the full image is viewable and none of it concealed by matting. It has been newly framed in a wood frame.

Condition: original condition

Recommended Reading: The Sweet Grass Lives On by Jamake Highwater.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.

Provenance: from a gentleman from Albuquerque