I arrive in Guatemala in the evening. Again, my bag of books is questioned and, again, I pass with a smile. I really think being old helps… it certainly does when I ask some young man to lift the almost 70 pound suitcase onto the customs inspection ramp. A few steps away my trusty associate, Johann finds me and takes over the unwieldy beast.
We are greeted by an auspicious sculpture as we enter the boutique hotel Adriatika in Zona 14. We are meeting the well-known artist tomorrow in his studio. The art in the hotel creates a pleasant, sophisticated ambiance. Besides the sculpture, I like a photograph by Luis Gonzaléz Palma. My room is huge complete with a kitchenette, washer/dryer and a great view of one of the eight volcanoes in Guatemala, Volcan Aqua.
Meeting Max Leiva is a treat. He is tall, handsome and amiable. I have been seeing his work for many years – in Mexico, Miami and Central America. I am always in awe of the divergent expressions in his bronze figures and also like his abstract works. The story he tells us about his decision to become a sculptor is interesting… you can read about it in our upcoming book, Central American Contemporary Art. He tells us of his year of working with Dogoberto Vasquez in Guatemala and I can see the influence in his abstract pieces. His figurative works are influenced by the textures of the Swiss sculptor, Nag Arnoldi.
The studio is filled with sculptures in all stages of production… clay, resin, bronze. I see expressions of love, rejection, awe, confusion on the faces, their heads darkened and Maya inspired. Like birds on a wire, some figures perch to watch us. We are fortunate to see the process of patina being added using gas and flame in an outdoor work space.
Max gives us books and takes the time to personalize one of them with an excellent pen drawing and a dedication to me; my partner, Mark Ford, will be envious. Veronica, Max’s accountant/assistant helps us with some contacts and as we leave, I see a life size sculpture looking up at the sky in a contented awe. That is exactly how I feel about this visit
Volcan Agua
Luis Gonzalez Palma
