I had the chance to meet Mr. H.R. Giger, the artist behind the original alien design in Alien and of course the Academy Award-winning creature design for Aliens and Alien 3. I didn’t take a picture with him because I was too shy at the time (and he gave me bad vibes), but I did have a conversation with him and his wife I don’t often talk about. He told me “I’m glad to see another human who has a brain”. He was a very nice man, and it’s a shame how people treat him because he’s old and can’t draw as well anymore.
H.R. Giger, who will be remembered for his work on the Alien franchise and for his influence on modern day horror films, was born in Chur, Switzerland on February 5th, 1940. His father Hermann Giger was a pharmacist and his mother Maria Baumgartner Giger was a pharmacist’s assistant.
Towards the end of World War II, Mr. Giger thought it would be safer to live in Liechtenstein where he attended high school in Vaduz. He then went on to study at the School of Applied Arts in Zurich, where he studied interior design and architecture. In 1966, H.R. Giger traveled around Italy with his friend and fellow artist Bruno Boghici and saw the work of Italian artists such as Salvador Dali and Amedeo Modigliani. In 1967, H.R. Giger traveled to Paris where he met with Salvador Dalí again and showed him some of his artwork which Dalí greatly appreciated.
Giger’s art is inspired by and an extension of his interests in life, which include architecture, anatomy, surrealism and sexuality. His works are unique and untouchable, always varying and surprising.
The artist’s main influences are painters H.R. Giger and Francis Bacon as well as sculptor and designer Raymond Hull, who in the 1940s created a series of optical illusions known as “Vortographs”.
H.R. Giger was born on February 5, 1940 in Chur, Switzerland. Giger is world-renowned for his surrealist paintings of uncanny, often sexualized creatures. The airbrush technique of painting without color, using shades of black and gray to create a three-dimensional look, has been widely imitated by artists around the world and remains a popular choice in advertising.
Toward the end of his career, Giger shifted away from fine art and began creating furniture, jewelry, and interior design objects (including a “Seatube” for an amusement park in Switzerland). He also created several sculptures for display in hotels and public buildings. Giger died on May 12, 2014 after a fall at his home in Zurich. He was 74 years old.*
Patrons who are interested in learning more about H.R. Giger can find books about his work at Amazon.com . These include:* H.R. Giger’s Work (Dover Fine Art, History of Design) http://www.amazon.com/H-R-Gigers-Work-Dover/dp/0486446620 * H.R. Giger’s World (Wonders of the World) http://www.amazon.
Hans Ruedi Giger (born 5 February 1940) is a Swiss surrealist painter, whose style has been influential to science fiction/horror genre art and whose work has been featured in numerous films.
He was born in Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland, the son of a prosperous family. His parents were Ernst Giger, a lawyer, and Marie (née Burkhard). As a teenager he was drawn to painting and joined the Hardturm-Kulturverein (HKV), an anarchist group with which he maintained close ties throughout his life. He attended the University of Zurich for one year before dropping out. In 1962 Giger attended the School of Applied Arts but quit after one semester. Throughout the 1960s Giger’s artwork became more and more grotesque and surreal. In 1970 he moved to Zürich. He married his first wife Hanna in 1971, but they divorced soon afterwards.
In 1977 Giger was commissioned by director Ridley Scott to design the alien for Scott’s film Alien. The alien creature was originally designed by H. R. Giger on a napkin in less than an hour. The alien went on to be one of the most iconic monsters in film history and became one of the highest gross
The Giger museum in Gruyeres Switzerland is a place you go to see the art, not to learn the life of the artist. The museum is not huge, and the rooms are small.
It contains a lot of original artwork, by HR Giger himself, and by other artists that were inspired by HR Giger. Some huge paintings.
There is also a room with several bio-mechanical sculptures from Giger