Leonel Maciel

Art Brokerage: Leonel Maciel Mexican Artist: b. 1939. Leonel Maciel, was born 1939 in Petatlan, Mexico. Maciel studied at the Esmeralda School of Painting, Sculpture and Print in Mexico City. He is an established Mexican artist who has achieved International fame. His work is marked by brilliant colors, strong lines and a certain naiveté. Mario Monteforte Toledo has said of Maciel's work: "An art like that of Maciel's, reaffirms and revives faith in the eternal values of the country, not only those of the art world, but of the culture in general. This work is, above all else, a global expression of culture. Here there isn't folklore, chauvinism, or obvious message. This is baroque art that initiates thought and a desire to know and enrich the knowledge of society." Maciel defines himself as a hedonistic painter believing that, suffering should not rule human existence, but rather eroticism, celebration, play, laughter or, in other words, the sheer joy of living. He tried to transmit this through his painting. He is quoted as saying "What is beautiful in life sometimes is expressed with color, other times with movement and in some cases by means of objects, plants and animals." Even generally serious topics can have elements of irony. Maciel did a series based on the Passion of Christ. But the images are not always solemn as in traditional depictions. His works generally contain a number of elements, often in saturated colors which are related to magical realism. Maciel has changed styles frequently and sometimes abruptly, with works showing African influence, others of a very traditional and academic style and ones using symbolic coloring and even hyper-realism. One reason for this is his travel experience, for example the inclusion of Asian elements is work after traveling there in the 1990s. His work varies from abstract to figurative, with his academic training apparent in his experimentation with materials. Listings wanted.