GLENN LOWRY: Even before their collaboration, publisher/printer Jacob Samuel had long admired the work of Chris Burden, an artist known for dramatic and physically demanding performance pieces.
JACOB SAMUEL: He said, “I have an idea for a project. I’ve had many encounters, personal encounters with coyotes.” He said he’d like to write up these encounters that he’d had with coyotes. Originally, I thought okay, he’ll do some drawings of coyotes. And then he said, “Well, I don't want there to be any pictures of coyotes.” I want the coyote to be in the imagination.
Chris made my studio his studio, and for a period of just about three months, he came to the studio at least twice a week and stayed for eight hours. We used just about every etching process, other than drypoint to do this project.
GLENN LOWRY: The first coyote story involved a set of knives the artist had inherited from his mother.
JACOB SAMUEL: And a coyote stole them. He had one of the knives left, and so he traced the knife, and I etched it and he really liked the way that looked. It was a very good translation of his work into print. And very much in keeping of his working process and his interests.