Max Galli was born in Rome in 1969, right in the middle of the ‘space age’, the oldest of two children of a photographer and a housewife.
From a very early age he always had a passion for drawing, inspired by various forms of art (painting, graphics, music), comics and television, and – obviously – from the many photographs of his father, a true, immediate source of inspiration as they were always at hand.
Precocious in learning, at the age of five he knew already read, write and draw. His early drawings used to be always inspired by the shapes of planes, trains and helicopters, while occasionally venturing into the representation of people.
At the age of ten he won the first prize in a competition about painting, sculpture and graphics for children organized by CIAS-UNESCO, an association connected with culture, art and school education. In the same period he started to write short stories.
As a teenager, thanks to a strong female presence that accompanied him until adulthood (aunts, cousins, friends, acquaintances) and a huge collection of vintage photos of his father (especially those of models and actresses of the period 1954-1972), began to draw female figures, while approaching to comic strips.
In 1991 he made his first, proper comic book, “Journey to Bilovar”. Published as a limited edition book three years later, “Journey to Bilovar” is a psychedelic and surrealistic tale around the theme of adventure, illustrated in pen and ink, with an eye to 60s american “underground” comics and inspirated to the Franco-Belgian style of drawing (Moebius, Caza, Bilal).
In the second half of 1991 Max joined the Roman Mod-60s Scene until 1994, creating an impressive number of illustrations, graphics and “optical motifs, all related to the visual arts of the Sixties.
From 1994 to 1997 he worked with local and national magazines, writing articles and producing illustrations for their features and working on commission for many private clients.
In 1998 he moved to England, in London, where he lived until the second half of 2003. During this “English” period, Max joined the London Mod-60s club scene, that soon became a constant source of inspiration for his illustrations. Several of his works were exhibited in group and personal exhibitions in the London area. In 2000 attended a college course in computer graphics and web design in central London, and produced posters and record and CD covers for local bands.
He returned to Italy in 2003, specializing in Sixties-style pin-up illustration, while appreciation for his works rose to international level.
In 2004 he was interviewed by Italian erotic magazine “Blue”, which published some of his works.
From 2005 to 2008 he worked as a graphic and web designer for “Ultrapop”, a small, 60s-oriented publishing company, for which produced an industrial quantity of graphics, posters and three pin-up calendars.
In 2010 he was interviewed in Greece, from the mod-60s Athenian magazine “Belle Vue Press”.
In october 2010 Max celebrated 20 years of illustrations.
Originally posted 2011-03-18 16:59:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
