Reflecting on the tenth anniversary of H.R. Giger’s passing, we celebrate the profound impact he had on the art world. Known for his haunting biomechanical dreamscapes, Giger’s work continues to influence sci-fi horror and surrealist art
HR. Giger is the pioneer of Fantastic Realism. His artworks are iconic and define the very notion of sci-fi horror. His biomechanical dreamscapes are known for being nightmarish and eerie. Giger was a troubled soul, with many anxieties and fears, which he portrayed perfectly in his artworks. He became widely popular for creating the concept for Alien, Ridley Scott’s horror movie in the late 1970s. However, Giger was not only that. He was a creative genius. Many people worked with him because of his ability and talent to give life even to the most obscure sceneries. Yet, the artist felt tied up, so he created a museum in Switzerland that would fully express his art.
Hans Ruedi Giger was born in 1940 in Chur, Switzerland. In 1962, he moved to Zurich to study Architecture and Industrial Design at the School of Applied Arts. Two years later, he was already producing his first artworks, which were ink drawings and oil paintings, exhibited in his first solo exhibition in 1966. Despite this early success, he gained wider recognition in 1969 when one of his paintings became a poster. Not much later, he discovered the airbrush, which helped him find his personal and distinctive style. Thus, the artist gave birth to surreal biomechanical dreamscapes, full of nightmarish creatures, cramming and agonizing. He was always fascinated by mummies, skulls, and all things creepy, even as a little child.
Dalí introduced the Swiss artist to Alejandro Jodorowsky, a movie director. Jodorowsky hired him to create the concept for his version of Dune in 1965. However, the movie was never made
According to Andreas Hirsch, a curator and close friend of Giger, the artist started drawing at an early age as a means to cope with his recurring nightmares. Additionally, the artist grew up during World War II. He lived near Nazi Germany, and the fear of those times did not leave him unaffected. As he stated, “I could feel the atmosphere when my parents were afraid. The lamps were always a bluish dark so the planes would not bomb us.”
After WWII, the Cold War came, bringing a new fear of atomic warfare. This was another situation that affected the artist deeply, and he tried to ground it by painting. One of Giger’s biggest inspirations was Salvador Dalí. He was deeply fascinated by his Surrealism and the way he distorted figures. Dalí introduced the Swiss artist to Alejandro Jodorowsky, a movie director. Jodorowsky hired him to create the concept for his version of Dune in 1965. However, the movie was never made, and the artist remained outside the film industry for many years.
In 1977, Giger created the book Necronomicon, a dire reference to the one by H. P. Lovecraft. In the book, he illustrated the weirdest creatures that looked like gremlins; there were skeletal aliens gazing over landscapes with heavy mist; distorted bodies in ghost-white tones; even hues one step away from the abyss.
He became widely popular for creating the concept for Alien, Ridley Scott’s horror movie in the late 1970s. However, Giger was not only that. He was a creative genius
The book fell into the hands of Ridley Scott, who at that time, was in the process of creating Alien. Scott lost his breath over Giger’s art and asked him immediately if he would like to be the visual interpreter of the movie. Thus, the Xenomorph was born.
Giger based the alien’s concept on two lithographs from the Necronomicon. They portrayed a metallic-looking freakish creature, whose eggplant-shaped head became the xenomorph’s trademark. The xenomorph also has dripping teeth like stalactites, a sleek and spiky body, and a tail that the creature uses as a weapon. It is a horrific species that comes from the furthest, most despairing parts of space. The Alien left a legacy in the film industry. It has become not only a cultural icon but a point of reference for many horror, sci-fi, and obscure artistic creations today.
Giger won an Oscar in 1980 for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Soon after, he worked on many other popular movies, such as Species, Alien II and III, Poltergeist II, Batman Forever, and others.
THE GIGER MUSEUM
Despite his great success, Giger felt incomplete because many of his designs could not be used in films. However, it was not until 1998 that he got the chance to finalize his artistic dreams. The artist designed the Giger Museum as an extension of this dream. The popular museum, located in the Château St. Germain, hosts the largest collection of Giger’s paintings, sculptures, furniture, and film designs, from the 1960s until today. The museum’s top floor houses Giger’s private collection. It includes artworks by those who inspired him most, such as Salvador Dalí and Ernst Fuchs. It also features works by Dado, Bruno Weber, Claude Sandoz, Joe Coleman, André Lassen, François Burland, Günter Brus, and many others. Furthermore, down at the bar, Giger placed the Harkonnen chairs and tables, which were designed for the unmade film Dune in 1965.
H. R. Giger passed away on May 12, 2014, in Zurich. His legacy is priceless, as he defined the very concept of space horror, leaving behind an indelible mark on both the art and film industries.