Xenome is the first artwork by H.R. Giger to be published on the Internet as a high-resolution color image. It was created in 1991 and is based on the Alien character as seen in the movie of the same name, produced by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. It depicts a pregnant Xenome with an embryo inside her transparent body structure and includes images of Giger’s signature biomechanical details.

Taken from the artist’s website, this image shows that HR Giger’s imagination is just as active today as it was when he created the iconic creature Xenomorph for Ridley Scott’s 1979 film ‘Alien’ – www.hrgiger.com

As expected, the news came on April 17, 2014 that H.R. Giger has passed away at the age of 74. This was not a surprise to me as I had been following his health issues for many years and knew he was in poor health and it was only a matter of time until he would leave us.

Truly sad news for those who love his artwork and the universe he created from his imagination. He will be missed by all who were touched by his work.

Giger left behind him a legacy of dark fantasy that encompasses much more than just the Alien creature or his abstruse biomechanical style. His art is so much more than that and we should all appreciate his tremendous contribution to the field of art and film making as well as what that means to our own lives.

Hans Rudolf Giger was born in Chur, Switzerland in 1940 into a family of sculptors, but he first became famous in industrial design circles in the 1970s with furniture designs made using moulded plastic and steel rods which were then painted black with a brush. His unique style has inspired many artists since then, but particularly sci-fi artists because it reflected the dark visions they sought to create in their drawings and paintings.

Giger’s

The creature, which has its roots in the work of surrealist Salvador Dali, was originally devised by H.R. Giger as a conceptual work of art. But it was so well received that it eventually appeared in the first Alien film, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1979.

Giger was at first reluctant to have his creation brought to life. “I would have liked to work on monsters for real,” he once said, adding: “I didn’t think the film would be such a success.”

But its popularity led to a long-running franchise that has produced four feature films and numerous spin-offs, including comic books, video games and toys

Art, Design

H.R. Giger is a Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor and set designer, famous for his work in science fiction film and pop music album cover. His paintings are characterized by the use of bio-mechanical themes and eroticism. Giger was born 1940 in the town of Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland. His father owned a pharmacy and he grew up with his mother who was an artistically talented women. He attended school in Chur during his youth and was very interested in art and drawing. “I had felt since my early childhood that my inner being was not only different from the other boys, but also from the adults around me,” Giger recalls. “I sensed that I was different in a way that could not be explained.” As a boy he began to draw monstrous creatures and by his teen years he turned to painting which soon became his main passion and obsession. He produced hundreds of fantastic paintings depicting dark landscapes filled with disturbing creatures inspired by sci-fi movies such as “Forbidden Planet”, “The Day The Earth Stood Still”, films of Alejandro Jodorowsky as well as horror movies by George Romero (director). In 1970 he went to Zürich where he studied interior design at

Alien is a 1979 science-fiction/horror film directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. Based on the novel of the same name by Dan O’Bannon, the film follows the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo who encounter the eponymous Alien, a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set loose on the ship.

The film was produced by Gordon Carroll, David Giler and Walter Hill through their company Brandywine Productions, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. The story was inspired by O’Bannon’s divorce in 1975 and his writing of Alien Convenant while attending film school. Giler wrote the screenplay with director Scott supplying the ideas necessary to extend it from O’Bannon’s original script. Shusett contributed to the script until O’Bannon took over again for rewrites.

Giger designed the Alien, which was constructed by Swiss surrealist artist H. R. Giger with input from Scott. Dan O’Bannon credited Scott’s concept of making an alien creature a starring role as influencing his own decision to create a similar creature in his script for “Alien”.

Alien is a sci-fi/horror film in which a crew of astronauts on a commercial spaceship, who are transporting the remains of an alien creature, are confronted by a much larger and more dangerous creature. It is the 1979 directorial debut of Ridley Scott.

The film stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver and Veronica Cartwright. The screenplay was written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett from a story by O’Bannon. Alien was produced by Gordon Carroll, David Giler and Walter Hill through their Brandywine Productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Giger was uncredited for his design work; however, the studio insisted his name be added to the advertising to capitalize on his popularity among fans of his artwork.

The eponymous Alien and its accompanying elements have been widely credited with revitalizing the science fiction genre. It also had a profound influence on horror film making. Alien received Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Sigourney Weaver) and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Veronica Cartwright).