El año del coyote – Grace Gutierrez

The coyote is an animal regularly typecast as a threatening predator with violent intentions. Communities all over the country have attempted to eradicate them, spending millions on coyote mitigation, some states still offering bounties for their death. From trapping and hunting to mass Strychnine poisoning, this animal has faced centuries of persecution. Despite their struggles, this animal has proven its adaptability and resilience, thriving in both rural areas and large cities all across North and Central America. Coyotes often appear in Mexican and indigenous folklore, mostly described as a cunning trickster, and the “coyotes” are also those who guide immigrants across the Mexico and U.S. border. This obvious ability to outsmart others to survive is what draws me to this creature and all that it stands for. I regularly try to draw lines between my own experiences with those of animals, and through a variety of projects, mediums and ideations, I have continued to use the coyote as a recurring subject in my work this year.

In El año del coyote, the emotions and experiences of the coyote are highlighted, seemingly mirroring the experiences of humans, particularly those who find themselves in perpetual survival mode or marginalized by others or certain institutions. I started 2023 completing a pair of paintings in response to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the subsequent uproar. I had collected imagery of trapped or hunted coyotes and felt these images captured the paralyzing fear I felt for the future of women and families. While the coyotes in Bound are shown tied, beaten and bloodied, the budding flora serves as a reminder of growth and our ability to adapt and remain resilient. El año del coyote reveals the affinity we have to the coyote and serves as a reminder to become impossible to eradicate, just as the coyote has.