Coyote Bench

Coyote Bench

Nobuho Nagasawa, 1990 to 1992

The coyote is one of the most tenacious animals living in Southern California. It has adapted well to the intrusion of man, easily surviving on discarded food rather than hunting the wild. Native Americans in earlier times gave coyotes great respect, commemorating them in a story now revealed in the “Coyote Bench”. YTUR is an phonetic pronunciation of the Gabrielino word for coyote. The bench itself is rough, closer to raw and natural materials than one usually expects in urban settings. Its exposed rocks come directly from the earth. The rocks however are imbedded in concrete, a material that is used widely in constructing our cities. The bench is a reminder of the complex relationship between civilization and the natural world. Coyote’s footprint is sandblasted in the sidewalk.