Hans Ruedi Giger ( ; ; 5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his
airbrushed
An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that atomizes and sprays various media, most often paint but also ink and dye, and foundation. Spray painting developed from the airbrush and is considered to employ a type of airbrush.
History
Up ...
images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as "
biomechanical". Giger later abandoned airbrush for
pastel
A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...
s,
markers and ink. He was part of the
special effects
Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wo ...
team that won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for the visual design of
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
's 1979 sci-fi horror film ''
Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'', and was responsible for creating the titular Alien itself. His work is on permanent display at the H.R. Giger Museum in
Gruyères
Gruyères (; frp, Gruviéres ; german: Greyerz) is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.
The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river, and gives its nam ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. His style has been adapted to many forms of media, including
album covers, furniture,
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...
s and video games.
Early life
Giger was born in 1940 in
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...
, the capital city of
Graubünden, the largest and easternmost
Swiss canton
The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Co ...
. His father, a pharmacist, viewed art as a "breadless profession" and strongly encouraged him to enter
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
. He moved to
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Z ...
in 1962, where he studied architecture and
industrial design
Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advance of the manufactu ...
at the School of Applied Arts until 1970.
[Hans Ruedi Giger, ''HR Giger ARh+'', translated by Karen Williams, ]Taschen
Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen.
History
The company began as Taschen Comics, ...
, 1993. .
Career
Giger's first success was when H. H. Kunz, co-owner of Switzerland's first poster publishing company, printed and distributed Giger's first posters, beginning in 1969.
Giger's style and thematic execution were influential. He was part of the special effects team that won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for their design work on the film ''
Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
''.
[ His design for the ]Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
was inspired by his painting ''Necronom IV
The Alien (also known as a ''Xenomorph XX121'' or ''Internecivus raptus'', or simply a xenomorph)Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report is a fictional parasitoid, endoparasitoid Extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial species that serves as the ...
'' and earned him an Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
in 1980. His books of paintings, particularly ''Necronomicon
The ', also referred to as the ''Book of the Dead'', or under a purported original Arabic title of ', is a fictional grimoire (textbook of magic) appearing in stories by the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first menti ...
'' and ''Necronomicon II'' (1985) and the frequent appearance of his art in '' Omni'' magazine contributed to his rise to international prominence. Giger was admitted to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...
in 2013.[ He is also well known for artwork on several music recording albums including '' Danzig III: How The Gods Kill'' by Danzig, '']Brain Salad Surgery
''Brain Salad Surgery'' is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released on 19 November 1973 by their record label, Manticore Records, and distributed by Atlantic Records.
Following the tour in suppor ...
'' by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percus ...
, '' Attahk'' by Magma
Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
, ''Heartwork
''Heartwork'' is the fourth studio album by English extreme metal band Carcass. The album was released in the UK by Earache Records on 18 October 1993, and in the United States on 11 January 1994 by Columbia Records, making it the band's only m ...
'' by Carcass
Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to:
*Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc.
*Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being
*The str ...
, '' To Mega Therion'' by Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich. They are known for their strong influence on the development of extreme metalBukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal''. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003. p.43 and avant-ga ...
, ''Eparistera Daimones
''Eparistera Daimones'' is the debut album by Swiss extreme metal band Triptykon, the most recent musical project of Thomas Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom G. Warrior), founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost ...
'' and ''Melana Chasmata
''Melana Chasmata'' is the second full-length album by Swiss extreme metal band Triptykon, released through Prowling Death Records /Century Media Records on 14 April 2014 in Europe and on 15 April 2014 in North America. The album was officially ...
'' by Triptykon
Triptykon is a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal music, heavy metal bands Hellhammer (band), Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Apollyon Sun.
History
Fisch ...
, Deborah Harry's ''KooKoo
''KooKoo'' is the debut solo album by American singer Debbie Harry, released on July 27, 1981, by Chrysalis Records. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the album was recorded whilst Harry took a break from her band Blondie. It ...
,'' and ''Frankenchrist
''Frankenchrist'' is the third album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys, released in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.
The album is an example of the progressive, psychedelic side of Dead Kennedys' musical personality. The spaghetti We ...
'', by the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...
.
In 1998, Giger acquired the Saint-Germain Castle in Gruyères
Gruyères (; frp, Gruviéres ; german: Greyerz) is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.
The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river, and gives its nam ...
, Switzerland, which now houses the H.R. Giger Museum, a permanent repository of his work.
Personal life
Giger had a relationship with Swiss actress Li Tobler until she died by suicide in 1975. Tobler's image appears in many of his paintings. He married Mia Bonzanigo in 1979; they divorced a year and a half later.
Giger lived and worked in Zürich with his second wife, Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger, who is the director of the H.R. Giger Museum.
On 12 May 2014, Giger died in a Zürich hospital after suffering injuries from a fall.
Style
Giger started with small ink drawings before progressing to oil paintings. For most of his career, he worked predominantly in airbrush
An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that atomizes and sprays various media, most often paint but also ink and dye, and foundation. Spray painting developed from the airbrush and is considered to employ a type of airbrush.
History
U ...
, creating monochromatic canvasses depicting surreal, nightmarish dreamscapes. He also worked with pastels, markers and ink.
Giger's most distinctive stylistic innovation was that of a representation of human bodies and machines in cold, interconnected relationships, which he described as "biomechanical". His main influences were painters Dado, Ernst Fuchs, and Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
. He was introduced to Dali by painter Robert Venosa Robert Venosa (January 21, 1936 – August 9, 2011) was an American artist who resided in Boulder, Colorado, USA. He studied with what are termed the New Masters. His artworks reside in collections around the world.
Life and works
Venosa first stud ...
. Giger was also influenced by Polish sculptor Stanislaw Szukalski Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Cali ...
, and by painters Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare (30 December 1886 – 15 May 1956) was an English artist and occultism, occultist who worked as both a draughtsman and a painter. Influenced by Symbolism (arts), symbolism and art nouveau his art was known for its clear use o ...
and Mati Klarwein
Abdul Mati Klarwein (April 9, 1932 – March 7, 2002) was a French painter of German origin best known for his works used on the covers of music albums.
Personal life
Mati Klarwein was born in Hamburg, Germany. His mother Elsa Kühne was an ...
, and was a personal friend of Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...
. He studied interior and industrial design at the School of Commercial Art in Zurich from 1962–1965, and made his first paintings as art therapy
Art therapy (not to be confused with ''arts therapy'', which includes other creative therapies such as drama therapy and music therapy) is a distinct discipline that incorporates creative methods of expression through visual art media. Art thera ...
.
Other works
Giger directed a number of films, including ''Swiss Made'' (1968), ''Tagtraum'' (1973), ''Giger's Necronomicon'' (1975) and ''Giger's Alien'' (1979).
Giger created furniture designs, particularly the Harkonnen Capo Chair
The Harkonnen Chairs are a series of H. R. Giger's furniture designs. They were manufactured by hand chiefly out of aluminium or black fiberglass and made to resemble a human skeleton. The chairs were initially designed for an unproduced movie ver ...
for a film of the novel ''Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' that was to be directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (; born 17 February 1929) is a Chilean-French avant-garde filmmaker.
Best known for his 1970s films '' El Topo'' and '' The Holy Mountain'', Jodorowsky has been "venerated by cult cinema enthusiasts" for his wor ...
. Many years later, David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
directed the film, using only rough concepts by Giger. Giger had wished to work with Lynch, as he stated in one of his books that Lynch's film ''Eraserhead
''Eraserhead'' is a 1977 American surrealist film, surrealist horror film written, directed, produced, and edited by David Lynch. Lynch also created its Eraserhead (soundtrack), score and sound design, which included pieces by a variety of oth ...
'' was closer than even Giger's own films to realizing his vision.
Giger also applied his biomechanical style to interior design. One "Giger Bar
A Giger Bar is a bar themed and modelled by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger. There are two Giger Bars: the first, the H.R. Giger Bar in Chur, Switzerland, which opened in 1992, and the second is The Museum HR Giger Bar, located in Château St. Ger ...
" appeared in Tokyo, but the realization of his designs was a great disappointment to him, since the Japanese organization behind the venture did not wait for his final designs, and instead used Giger's rough preliminary sketches. For that reason Giger disowned the Tokyo bar.[Cheers to the aliens: Sci-Fi Hotel, Giger Bar coming to US?
Sci-Fi Hotel founder Andy Davies teams up with "Alien" artist H.R. Giger to open a hotel bar, yet where it will land is still unknown.
by Bonnie Burton
@bonniegrrl 7 January 2014
http://www.cnet.com/news/cheers-to-the-aliens-sci-fi-hotel-giger-bar-coming-to-us/ ] The two Giger Bars in his native Switzerland, in Gruyères and Chur, were built under Giger's close supervision and they accurately reflect his original concepts. At The Limelight
The Limelight was the name of a chain of nightclubs owned and operated by Peter Gatien. It had locations in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, London and Hallandale.
Context
During the 1980s, club culture had died down because of the AIDS ...
in Manhattan, Giger's artwork was licensed to decorate the VIP room, the uppermost chapel of the landmarked church, but it was never intended to be a permanent installation and bore no similarity to the bars in Switzerland. The arrangement was terminated after two years when the Limelight closed.
Giger's art has greatly influenced tattooists and fetishists worldwide. Under a licensing deal Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as ...
guitars released an H. R. Giger signature series: the Ibanez ICHRG2, an Ibanez Iceman
The Ibanez Iceman is a guitar produced by Hoshino Gakki under Ibanez brand.
Background
Hoshino Gakki exported copies of American electric and acoustic guitars in the 1950s, and by the mid-1970s the Ibanez guitars had reached a level of quality co ...
, features "NY City VI", the Ibanez RGTHRG1 has "NY City XI" printed on it, the S Series SHRG1Z has a metal-coated engraving of "Biomechanical Matrix" on it, and a 4-string SRX bass, SRXHRG1, has "N.Y. City X" on it.
Giger is often referred to in popular culture, especially in science fiction and cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...
. William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ...
(who wrote an early script for ''Alien 3
''Alien 3'' (stylized as ''A''LIEN³) is a 1992 American science fiction horror film directed by David Fincher and written by David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson, from a story by Vincent Ward. It stars Sigourney Weaver, reprising her r ...
'') seems particularly fascinated: A minor character in ''Virtual Light
''Virtual Light'' is a science fiction novel by American-Canadian writer William Gibson, the first book in his Bridge trilogy. ''Virtual Light'' is a science-fiction novel set in a postmodern, dystopian, cyberpunk future. The term 'Virtual Light ...
'', Lowell, is described as having ''New York XXIV'' tattooed across his back, and in ''Idoru
''Idoru'' is the second book in William Gibson's Bridge trilogy. ''Idoru'' is a science-fiction novel set in a postmodern, dystopian, cyberpunk future. One of the main characters, Colin Laney, has a talent for identifying nodal points, analogou ...
'' a secondary character, Yamazaki
Yamazaki or Yamasaki (written: lit. "mountain promontory") is the 22nd most common Japanese surname. Less common variants are and . Notable people with the surname include:
*Amy Yamazaki, British actress
*Arturo Yamasaki, Peruvian-Mexican foot ...
, describes the buildings of nanotech
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
Japan as Giger-esque.
Films
* ''Dune'' (designs for Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (; born 17 February 1929) is a Chilean-French avant-garde filmmaker.
Best known for his 1970s films '' El Topo'' and '' The Holy Mountain'', Jodorowsky has been "venerated by cult cinema enthusiasts" for his wor ...
's unproduced adaptation of Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
's novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
; the separate movie ''Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' was later made in an adaptation by David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
)
* ''Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'' (designed, among other things, the Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
creature, "The Derelict" and the "Space Jockey")
* ''Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'' (credited for the creation of the creature only)
* ''Alien 3
''Alien 3'' (stylized as ''A''LIEN³) is a 1992 American science fiction horror film directed by David Fincher and written by David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson, from a story by Vincent Ward. It stars Sigourney Weaver, reprising her r ...
'' (designed the dog-like Alien bodyshape, plus a number of unused concepts, many mentioned on the special features disc of ''Alien 3'', despite not being credited in the movie theater version)
* ''Alien Resurrection
''Alien Resurrection'' is a 1997 American science fiction horror film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Joss Whedon, and starring Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder. It is the fourth installment of the ''Alien'' franchise, and was f ...
'' (credited for the creation of the creature only)
* ''Alien vs. Predator
''Alien vs. Predator'' (also known as ''Aliens versus Predator'' and ''AVP'') is a science-fiction action horror
media franchise created by comic book writers Randy Stradley and Chris Warner. The series is a crossover between, and part of, th ...
'' (credited for the creation of the creature only)
* '' Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' (credited for the creation of the creature only)
* '' Poltergeist II: The Other Side''
* ''Killer Condom
''Killer Condom'' (original title ''Kondom des Grauens'' (English: Condom of Horror)) is a 1996 German horror comedy directed by Martin Walz. It is based on the comic books ''Kondom des Grauens'' and ''Bis auf die Knochen'' ("Down to the Bones") b ...
'' (creative consultant, set design)
* ''Species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
'' (designed Sil, and the Ghost Train in a dream sequence)
* ''Species II
''Species II'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror thriller film directed by Peter Medak. The film is a sequel to ''Species'' (1995) and the second installment in the ''Species'' series. The film stars Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, ...
'' (the film includes Eve, based on creature Sil from the first ''Species'' film)
* ''Batman Forever
''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment of W ...
'' (unused design of a radically different Batmobile
The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit a ...
)
* ''Future-Kill
''Future-Kill'' (released in the UK as ''Night of the Alien'') is a 1985 comedy science fiction-horror film about a group of fraternity boys who are hunted by mutants in a futuristic city. The film was directed by Ronald W. Moore, and stars Edwi ...
'' (designed artwork for the movie poster)
* '' Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis'' (creature designs)
* ''Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
'' (The film includes "The Derelict" spacecraft and the "Space Jockey" designs from the first ''Alien'' film, as well as a "Temple" design from the failed Jodorowsky ''Dune'' project and original extraterrestrial murals created exclusively for ''Prometheus'', based in conceptual art from ''Alien''. Unlike ''Alien Resurrection'', the ''Prometheus'' film credited H. R. Giger with the original designs.)
* '' Alien: Covenant'' (the film includes the Alien creature, "The Derelict" spacecraft and the "Space Jockey" designs from the first ''Alien'' film)
Work for recording artists
* Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich. They are known for their strong influence on the development of extreme metalBukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal''. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003. p.43 and avant-ga ...
: '' To Mega Therion''
* Magma
Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
: '' Attahk''
* Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percus ...
: ''Brain Salad Surgery
''Brain Salad Surgery'' is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released on 19 November 1973 by their record label, Manticore Records, and distributed by Atlantic Records.
Following the tour in suppor ...
''
* Floh de Cologne: ''Mumien''
* Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens (born Steven Bruce Schneider; May 5, 1959) is an American guitarist. He is best known as Billy Idol's guitarist and songwriting collaborator, and for his lead guitar work on the theme to ''Top Gun'' – "Top Gun Anthem" – for w ...
' ''Atomic Playboys
''Atomic Playboys'' is the first studio album by guitarist Steve Stevens, released in 1989 through Warner Bros. Records;Book, John"Atomic Playboys - Steve Stevens' Atomic Playboys" ''AllMusic''. All Media Network. Retrieved 2013-08-22. a remaster ...
''
* Deborah Harry
Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981.
Born in ...
, portraits for ''KooKoo
''KooKoo'' is the debut solo album by American singer Debbie Harry, released on July 27, 1981, by Chrysalis Records. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the album was recorded whilst Harry took a break from her band Blondie. It ...
'' album cover and videos "Backfired" and "Now I Know You Know"
* hide: ''Hide Your Face
''Hide Your Face'' is the debut album by Japanese musician hide, released on February 23, 1994. It reached number 1 on the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified Double Platinum by the RIAJ for sales over 500,000 copies. It was named one of the ...
''
* Carcass
Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to:
*Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc.
*Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being
*The str ...
: ''Heartwork
''Heartwork'' is the fourth studio album by English extreme metal band Carcass. The album was released in the UK by Earache Records on 18 October 1993, and in the United States on 11 January 1994 by Columbia Records, making it the band's only m ...
''
* Danzig: '' Danzig III: How the Gods Kill''
* Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...
' album ''Frankenchrist
''Frankenchrist'' is the third album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys, released in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.
The album is an example of the progressive, psychedelic side of Dead Kennedys' musical personality. The spaghetti We ...
'', Poster insert of Landscape XX (which led to an obscenity trial)
* Atrocity
Atrocity or ''Atrocities'' or ''Atrocious'' may refer to:
* Atrocity (band), a German metal band
* ''Atrocities'' (album), the fourth album by Christian Death
* Mass atrocity crimes, international crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes agains ...
– ''Hallucinations
A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the qualities of a real perception. Hallucinations are vivid, substantial, and are perceived to be located in external objective space. Hallucination is a combinatio ...
''
* Korn
Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream.
Originally formed in 1993 ...
's Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD or JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, who are considered a pioneering act of the ...
commissioned Giger to design and sculpt a microphone stand, with the requirement that it be biomechanical, erotic, and movable. The contract allowed for five aluminium microphone stands to be made, but Davis purchased only two of the three to which he was entitled. The design of the microphone stand was later adapted to Giger's ''Nubian Queen'', transforming it into a fine art sculpture.
* Helped to design the first professional video clip of "Böhse Onkelz
Böhse Onkelz (), sensational spelling of ''böse Onkel'' (German for "evil uncles") is a German rock band formed in Frankfurt in 1980. The band reunited in 2014. Despite mass-media criticism concerning their past as skinheads, several of their ...
" called "Dunkler Ort" (dark location) from their album ''Ein böses Märchen ... aus tausend finsteren Nächten'', which was released in 2000.
* Ibanez Guitars
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United Sta ...
released a series of H. R. Giger Signature Models with artwork on the body.
* Triptykon
Triptykon is a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal music, heavy metal bands Hellhammer (band), Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Apollyon Sun.
History
Fisch ...
: ''Eparistera Daimones
''Eparistera Daimones'' is the debut album by Swiss extreme metal band Triptykon, the most recent musical project of Thomas Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom G. Warrior), founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost ...
''
* Triptykon
Triptykon is a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal music, heavy metal bands Hellhammer (band), Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Apollyon Sun.
History
Fisch ...
: ''Melana Chasmata
''Melana Chasmata'' is the second full-length album by Swiss extreme metal band Triptykon, released through Prowling Death Records /Century Media Records on 14 April 2014 in Europe and on 15 April 2014 in North America. The album was officially ...
''
Interior decoration
* Giger Bar
A Giger Bar is a bar themed and modelled by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger. There are two Giger Bars: the first, the H.R. Giger Bar in Chur, Switzerland, which opened in 1992, and the second is The Museum HR Giger Bar, located in Château St. Ger ...
s in Switzerland's Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...
and Gruyères
Gruyères (; frp, Gruviéres ; german: Greyerz) is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.
The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river, and gives its nam ...
* Maison d'Ailleurs
The Maison d'Ailleurs (translated as "House of Elsewhere") is a museum of science fiction, utopia and extraordinary journeys in Yverdon-les-Bains ( Switzerland). It is a non-profit foundation functioning both as a public museum and a specialized r ...
(House of Elsewhere) in Yverdon-les-Bains
Yverdon-les-Bains () (called Eburodunum and Ebredunum during the Roman era) is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district. The population of Yverdon-les-Bains, , was ...
Video games
* '' Dark Seed'' and its sequel, ''Dark Seed II
''Dark Seed II'' is a psychological horror point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Cyberdreams and distributed by MGM Interactive in 1995, and is the sequel to the 1992 game '' Dark Seed''. It sees recurring protagonist Mike Daw ...
'', both adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
s for the Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
, Macintosh, and PC, were developed by Cyberdreams
Cyberdreams Interactive Entertainment was a video game publisher located in California that specialized in adventure games developed in collaboration with famous names from the fantasy, horror and science fiction genres between 1990 and 1997.
H ...
and directly based on Giger's input.
* The dark fantasy games '' Tormentum: Dark Sorrow'' and its sequel '' Tormentum II'' are both based heavily on the works of Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński
Zdzisław Beksiński (; 24 February 192921 February 2005) was a Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor, specializing in the field of dystopian surrealism.
Beksiński made his paintings and drawings in what he called either a Baroque or a Go ...
.
* '' Scorn'', the sci-fi horror video game draws heavy inspiration from Giger's (and Zdzisław Beksiński's) work, frequently being compared with Giger's films ''Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'' and ''Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
''.
Recognition
Giger was awarded the Inkpot Award
The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual c ...
in 1979.
In addition to his awards, Giger was recognized by a variety of festivals and institutions. On the one year anniversary of his death, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City staged the series ''The Unseen Cinema of HR Giger'' in May 2015.
'' Dark Star: H. R. Giger's World'', a biographical documentary by Belinda Sallin, debuted 27 September 2014 in Zurich, Switzerland.
In July 2018, the asteroid 109712 Giger was named in his memory.
References
External links
*
Museum HR Giger
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giger, H. R.
1940 births
2014 deaths
Accidental deaths from falls
Accidental deaths in Switzerland
Album-cover and concert-poster artists
Artist authors
Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners
Fantasy artists
Inkpot Award winners
Swiss occultists
People from Chur
Psychedelic drug advocates
Science fiction artists
Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees
Swiss contemporary artists
Swiss erotic artists
Swiss graphic designers
Swiss illustrators
Swiss painters
Swiss scenic designers
Swiss speculative fiction artists
Swiss surrealist artists
Zurich University of the Arts alumni