CREATIVE TWIST
Pandemic sends film photographer Ursula Coyote back to fine art
Editor’s note: Venue Plus continues “In Case You Didn’t Know,” a weekly feature with fun tidbits about New Mexicans and their projects.
To say Ursula Coyote is creative is an understatement. Over the years, Coyote has learned how to use her artistic talent in an array of mediums.
In New Mexico, she’s been a staple in the film industry as a set photographer for many productions.
“Breaking Bad,” “Godless,” Waco,” “Odd Thomas,” “The Signal” and “Bless Me, Ultima” are samples of her work.
During the pandemic, with productions shut down, Coyote returned to a familiar avenue.
“I would go into my garage, and I was going to find an outlet with my time,” she says. “I tried guitar and am still playing. I also found
some old art materials in there and became obsessed with creating art.”
Coyote graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she studied both illustration and art.
Her points of inspiration are Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and illustrator Ralph Steadman.
She describes her work as classically trained, modern and figurative. She uses pastels primarily, but will use pencil, gesso, and multimedia.
“All of the ideas live in my head,” she says. “They aren’t anyone I know. These are figures and scenes that will come to me while I’m painting and listening to music.”
Coyote says the transition from photography to art has
been welcome.
She says there’s a difference between the two, because one presents itself and one comes from her head.
“With photography, you know who the people are because they are there,” she says. “I like this transition to art, because I have fake people. Ghosts or demons or souls. They don’t have to be anybody in particular. I want people to look at them, and it doesn’t have to be a particular thing.”
Over the course of her career, Coyote has always gone with the flow.
Her intention was never to be a photographer, which is why she studied at Parsons in fine art.
“My second or third year at Parsons, I took a photo background class and blew the teachers away,” she says. “I was still at Parsons when I started working for the Village Voice and then Spin magazine. Eventually, I sold illustrations to American
Greetings, and it’s kept moving forward ever since.”
Coyote is getting back into film productions now that they’ve opened up. Here are a few things you probably didn’t know about her: 1 “I had a development recording deal with Tony Bongiovi at world-renowned recording studio “The Power Station” in NYC and had a band called Coyote that played NYC clubs and produced my own CD.”
2 “I had a music and entertainment magazine called Mike’s Feedback in Austin Texas, featuring local and internally recording artists. I shot all the colorful covers and features.”
3 “I did a short comedy mockumentary called ‘Karaoke A-Go-Go’ and a weekly show called ‘Rockstar Karaoke’ at Bar B, Senior Lucky’s and The Lodge.”
4 “I did the films ‘Habitat for Hounds’ and ‘Graffiti Dog House Build.’ ”
5 “I won the 52nd annual ICG Publicists 2015 Excellence in Unit Still Photography for Television award.”