Guest Post: 'A.I. A Challenge for Illustrators'

'A.I. A Challenge for Illustrators' is a guest post by Maurizio Galia.

Maurizio Galia, born in 1963 in Moncalieri (Turin, Italy), is a highly versatile art professional who has traversed various creative realms throughout his career. In 1986, he earned a master's degree from the Albertina Academy of Turin and established himself as a fine art professional. His artistic journey began as an illustrator for advertising, a role that laid the foundation for his future endeavours.

During the mid-'80s, Maurizio seamlessly transitioned into the realm of graphic design, contributing his skills to publishing, school books, and music labels. This diversification showcased his adaptability and willingness to explore different facets of the artistic landscape. Beyond graphic design, he expanded his repertoire to include paintings, books, album covers (for both LPs and CDs), and graphic novels, showcasing a multifaceted approach to his craft.

Since 1990, Maurizio has shared his extensive knowledge and passion for the fine arts as a dedicated teacher. His teaching experience extends beyond Italy, including a collaboration with a British institute in London in 2019. His commitment to education aligns with his desire to nurture the artistic talents of others.

Maurizio's connection with music runs deep, dating back to 1979, when he became a musician. His band, "Aquael," has produced noteworthy albums, further establishing him as an accomplished artist in the music industry. His expertise in music is evident not only in his creations but also in his role as a music connoisseur. You can find his book “Prog 50” distributed worldwide by Gazelle Book Services.

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Aquael - Apollo, Minerva e l'etrusco.

Stride Magazine: Five entries in Prog 50

Stride Magazine has a new series is called 'Five' which simply involves writing about five linked items. The first articles in the series can be found here and here. My latest article for Stride Magazine is part of this series and is entitled 'Five entries in Prog 50'.

The article is a piece about five entries found in Prog 50 an encyclopaedia of Prog Rock edited by artist and musician Maurizio Galia which has helped me go back in time and discover what I missed when I followed Punk and New Wave in the 1970's rather than Prog Rock:

'Galia is a Prog rocker, as keyboardist and singer with Aquael. Also, a skilled artist and illustrator, his images enhance Prog 50 considerably. Together with his collaborators, he has documented fifty years of Prog Rock with over 1,000 musicians from the America’s, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and South Africa mentioned. As Peter Gabriel states in his Foreword, Galia ‘has carefully assembled … a veritable army of progsters; all mounted and ready – ready to challenge any non-believers, in whatever shape or form they are found’.'

I recently wrote another article for Stride, this time about my 'Five Trios' series of poems. 'Five Trios' is a series of five long poems on thin places and sacred spaces in Essex and East London, each of which are also located within the Diocese of Chelmsford. The five poems in the series are:

• 'Barking';
• 'Bradwell';
• 'Broomfield';
• 'Pleshey'; and
• 'Runwell'.

These poems have been published by Amethyst Review and International Times.

The article explores the inspiration for the series and includes information about each of the locations included.

Several years ago, Stride published a series of texts by authors about themselves and their poetry called 'Deflated Ego'. My article on 'Five Trios was part of a new 'Deflated Ego' series. Authors were invited to choose their own approach to the piece, be that self-interview, review, manifesto, contextual/social material, statement of poetics, personal comment, or whatever. The first pieces in this new 'Deflated Ego' series can be read here and here.

To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published in Amethyst Review are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'.

I am among those whose poetry has been included in Thin Places & Sacred Spaces, a recent anthology from Amethyst Press. I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems.

IT have also published several of my poems, beginning with 'The ABC of creativity', which covers attention, beginning and creation, and lastly 'The Edge of Chaos', a state of existence poem.

Stride magazine was founded in 1982. Since then it has had various incarnations, most recently in an online edition since the late 20th century. You can visit its earlier incarnation at http://stridemagazine.co.uk.

I have read the poetry featured in Stride and, in particular, the work of its editor Rupert Loydell over many years and was very pleased that Rupert gave a poetry reading when I was at St Stephen Walbrook.

Rupert Loydell is the editor of Stride magazine, contributing editor to International Times and a writer and abstract artist. He has many books of poetry and several collaborative publications in print, and has edited anthologies for Shearsman, KFS and Salt. His critical writing has appeared in Punk & Post-Punk (which he is on the editorial board of), Journal of Writing and Creative Practice, New Writing, English, Text, Axon, Short Fiction in Theory and Practice, Musicology Research, Revenant, The Quint: an interdisciplinary journal from the north and Journal of Visual Art Practice. He has also contributed chapters to Brian Eno. Oblique Music (Bloomsbury, 2016), Critical Essays on Twin Peaks: The Return (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), Music in Twin Peaks: Listen to the Sounds (Routledge, 2021) and Bodies, Noise and Power in Industrial Music (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022).

Rupert has recently contributed several guest posts to 'Between'. These have been interviews musicians including Nick Battle and Steve Scott who contributed to the early days of christian rock in the UK. I have also published an interview with Rupert himself in which he shares his thoughts on that same period of christian rock, as well as speaking about other aspects of his career and interests. These posts can be read here, here, and here.

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Aquael - Ziggurat.

Stride Magazine: Five

Stride Magazine has a new series is called 'Five' which simply involves writing about five linked items. The first articles in the series can be found here and here. My piece for the series which is on entries in Prog 50 will be published on 24 November.

I recently wrote another article for Stride, this time about my 'Five Trios' series of poems. 'Five Trios' is a series of five long poems on thin places and sacred spaces in Essex and East London, each of which are also located within the Diocese of Chelmsford. The five poems in the series are:

• 'Barking';
• 'Bradwell';
• 'Broomfield';
• 'Pleshey'; and
• 'Runwell'.

These poems have been published by Amethyst Review and International Times.

The article explores the inspiration for the series and includes information about each of the locations included.

Several years ago, Stride published a series of texts by authors about themselves and their poetry called 'Deflated Ego'. My article on 'Five Trios was part of a new 'Deflated Ego' series. Authors were invited to choose their own approach to the piece, be that self-interview, review, manifesto, contextual/social material, statement of poetics, personal comment, or whatever. The first pieces in this new 'Deflated Ego' series can be read here and here.

To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published in Amethyst Review are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'.

I am among those whose poetry has been included in Thin Places & Sacred Spaces, a recent anthology from Amethyst Press. I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems.

IT have also published several of my poems, beginning with 'The ABC of creativity', which covers attention, beginning and creation, and lastly 'The Edge of Chaos', a state of existence poem.

Stride magazine was founded in 1982. Since then it has had various incarnations, most recently in an online edition since the late 20th century. You can visit its earlier incarnation at http://stridemagazine.co.uk.

I have read the poetry featured in Stride and, in particular, the work of its editor Rupert Loydell over many years and was very pleased that Rupert gave a poetry reading when I was at St Stephen Walbrook.

Rupert Loydell is a poet, painter, editor and publisher, and senior lecturer in English with creative writing at Falmouth University. He is interested in the relationship of visual art and language, collaborative writing, sequences and series, as well as post-confessional narrative, experimental music and creative non-fiction.

He has edited Stride magazine for over 30 years, and was managing editor of Stride Books for 28 years. His poetry books include Wildlife and Ballads of the Alone (both published by Shearsman), and The Fantasy Kid (for children).

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McFly - Five Colours In Her Hair.

Stride Magazine - Deflated Ego 18: Jonathan Evens on Jonathan Evens

Here's an article I've written for Stride Magazine about my 'Five Trios' series of poems. 'Five Trios' is a series of five long poems on thin places and sacred spaces in Essex and East London, each of which are also located within the Diocese of Chelmsford. The five poems in the series are:

• 'Barking';
• 'Bradwell';
• 'Broomfield';
• 'Pleshey'; and
• 'Runwell'.

These poems have been published by Amethyst Review and International Times.

The article explores the inspiration for the series and includes information about each of the locations included.

Several years ago, Stride Magazine published a series of texts by authors about themselves and their poetry called 'Deflated Ego'. This month a new series has begun.

Authors have been invited to choose their own approach to the piece, be that self-interview, review, manifesto, contextual/social material, statement of poetics, personal comment, or whatever. The first pieces in this new series can be read here and here.

I am also contributing to another Stride series. This second series is called 'Five' and simply involves writing about five linked items. My piece on entries in Prog 50 will be published on 24 November.

To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published in Amethyst Review are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'.

I am among those whose poetry has been included in Thin Places & Sacred Spaces, a recent anthology from Amethyst Press. I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems.

IT have also published several of my poems, beginning with 'The ABC of creativity', which covers attention, beginning and creation, and lastly 'The Edge of Chaos', a state of existence poem.

Stride magazine was founded in 1982. Since then it has had various incarnations, most recently in an online edition since the late 20th century. You can visit its earlier incarnation at http://stridemagazine.co.uk.

I have read the poetry featured in Stride and, in particular, the work of its editor Rupert Loydell over many years and was very pleased that Rupert gave a poetry reading when I was at St Stephen Walbrook.

Rupert Loydell is a poet, painter, editor and publisher, and senior lecturer in English with creative writing at Falmouth University. He is interested in the relationship of visual art and language, collaborative writing, sequences and series, as well as post-confessional narrative, experimental music and creative non-fiction.

He has edited Stride magazine for over 30 years, and was managing editor of Stride Books for 28 years. His poetry books include Wildlife and Ballads of the Alone (both published by Shearsman), and The Fantasy Kid (for children).

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Belle and Sebastian - Another Sunny Day.

Stride Magazine: 'Deflated Ego' and 'Five'

Several years ago, Stride Magazine published a series of texts by authors about themselves and their poetry called 'Deflated Ego'. This month a new series has begun. 

Authors have been invited to choose their own approach to the piece, be that self-interview, review, manifesto, contextual/social material, statement of poetics, personal comment, or whatever. The first pieces in this new series can be read here and here.

My piece in the series will appear on 31 October. My piece is about 'Five Trios' my series of poems on thin places and sacred spaces in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The five poems in the series are:

• 'Barking';
• 'Bradwell';
• 'Broomfield';
• 'Pleshey'; and
• 'Runwell'.

These poems have been published by Amethyst Review and International Times.

I am also contributing to another Stride series. This second series is called 'Five' and simply involves writing about five linked items. My piece on entries in Prog 50 will be published on 24 November.

To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published in Amethyst Review are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'.

I am among those whose poetry has been included in Thin Places & Sacred Spaces, a recent anthology from Amethyst Press. I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems.

IT have also published several of my poems, beginning with 'The ABC of creativity', which covers attention, beginning and creation, and lastly 'The Edge of Chaos', a state of existence poem.

Stride magazine was founded in 1982. Since then it has had various incarnations, most recently in an online edition since the late 20th century. You can visit its earlier incarnation at http://stridemagazine.co.uk.

I have read the poetry featured in Stride and, in particular, the work of its editor Rupert Loydell over many years and was very pleased that Rupert gave a poetry reading when I was at St Stephen Walbrook.

Rupert Loydell is a poet, painter, editor and publisher, and senior lecturer in English with creative writing at Falmouth University. He is interested in the relationship of visual art and language, collaborative writing, sequences and series, as well as post-confessional narrative, experimental music and creative non-fiction.

He has edited Stride magazine for over 30 years, and was managing editor of Stride Books for 28 years. His poetry books include Wildlife and Ballads of the Alone (both published by Shearsman), and The Fantasy Kid (for children).

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Bruce Springsteen - My Master's Hand.