Robot & Cyborg Artists

Maurizio Manzieri was born in Naples, Italy in April 1961. He pursued classical studies, and began working as a graphic artist in advertising. Manzieri has always enjoyed science fiction and fantasy art. As a teenager he contributed his works to several leading fanzines. He has for some time been studying the method of Electronic Painting. Today, he paints exclusively on electronic canvas experimenting with the latest techniques to do with 2Dand 3D software. Since 1995, he has published covers for the leading science fiction magazine in England, Interzone. This Magazine was the recipient of the 1995 Hugo award. In May 1996, a selection of his work appeared in the exhibition for Professional Artists. He was appointed member of the World SF Italia, the Italian unit of the international science fiction association of professionals.

Chris Foss was born in 1946 in Devon, England. As a young child Chris was very interested in the industrial revolution, and he spent a lot of time exploring the railroad tracks and coalmines in West England. He was deeply inspired by these sights, so he began to build railroads and steam engines from bits of pieces of metal he found. He participated in a course, which he was encouraged to do so by a drawing master and soon he earned himself a grant at a boarding school in Dorset. He continued to sketch subjects like the worn-out shipyards in the harbor of Pool. His family was not excited at the prospect of him becoming an artist. They wanted him to go to university to study architecture. While he studied there he sold drawings to Autocar.

In 1966 he took a job working for a building sculpturer only to keep the money coming in. In 1968 he bought an air spray gun for the creation of seamless transitions. The years 1968 to 1970 were difficult for Chris. He left the sculpturer and made a living driving rental cars. In 1969 he got the assignment of making a cover illustration for Constable Ltd. Slowly, but steadily, he earned himself a reputation making dramatic war scenes, planes, ships, subs, and even space ships. His visions were unique, and his creations were streamlined, huge and very different from the pointy shapes his predecessors had envisioned. In 1975, he was hired to do the initial sketches on the first attempt to make a big-screen version of Frank Herbert's bestseller "Dune". His drawings give us a way to view what is waiting for us on the border of the horizon.