H.R. Giger, Creator of Alien's Iconic Monster, Has Died

MovieBob

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H.R. Giger, Creator of Alien's Iconic Monster, Has Died


Famed artist reportedly died from complications following a serious fall

Multiple news outlets (at the time of this writing, primarily in Switzerland) are reporting that famous Swiss artist H.R. Giger has passed away in hospital following a serious fall. He was 74.

A prolific painter, sculptor and set-designer whose surrealistic "biomechanical" style was said to be inspired by his experiences with a night-terrors sleep disorder; Giger gained international fame (and an Academy Award) for his design work on Ridley Scott's original Alien, most famously his conception of main "Xenomorph" creature that would become one of the most iconic (and most imitated) monsters in cinema history.

The early paintings that put Giger on Hollywood's radar appeared in his Necronomicon art books and in Omni Magazine. His first major motion-picture work would have been in Alejandro Jodorowsky's version of Dune, but the project never came to fruition. After the success of Alien, his work was featured in many films of varying notoriety from the erotic horror/scifi hit Species to the low-budget Troma comedy Killer Condom to the Japanese manga-adaptation Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. He also designed several popular lines of musical instruments and a franchise of "Giger Bars" in Switzerland.

Born in 1940, Hans Rudolf Giger was the son of a chemist who initially discouraged his interest in the arts. He studied Architecture and industrial design at Zurich's School of Applied Arts in the 1960s before setting out to establish himself as a painter. He is survived by his wife, Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger, who is also the director of the H.R. Giger Museum [http://www.hrgigermuseum.com/] in Gruyeres.


Sources: Swiss Info [http://www.thelocal.ch/20140513/swiss-surrealist-designer-for-alien-film-dies]

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Rellik San

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Feb 3, 2011
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I remember writing my Fine Arts thesis on Giger and his effects on mainstream horror aesthetics.

Gonna miss that dude.
 

Whoracle

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Jan 7, 2008
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Met him twice (oh joy of friends of friends knowing people...). He was a really nice guy, his Art was great, and in certain fields of Art he laid the foundation.

I'm gonna miss him.
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

Henchgoat Emperor
May 15, 2010
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Quite possibly one of the most influential contemporary artists, one that most of us in the gaming/nerd culture would definitely recognize... RIP sir, the only regret I have was never having met you.
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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Nov 19, 2009
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well, there goes one of the most iconic and influential artists of the 20th century. There's nothing quite like his bizarre, twisted style.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

(Insert witty quote here)
Sep 10, 2008
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Goodbye Giger, your work that helped create the Biomechanical artfrom will be your legacy.



Your creations touch millions and have haunted their nightmares for decades.
 

kuolonen

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Nov 19, 2009
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What is this silliness? Everyone knows aliens originated in China!

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comicsandcosplay/comics/critical-miss/10135-Cultural-Thievery
 
Dec 14, 2009
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Oh man, I looked at some this guy's stuff not the other week, on a whim.

Nobody made peen and vagina depictions so damn terrifying.

RIP
 

RA92

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Jan 1, 2011
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I loved his design work. Jim Sterling, though, is probably going to be more crushed than the rest of us combined.

RIP
 

Trishbot

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May 10, 2011
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I passed my art exam with a fusion of H.R. Giger and Mickey Mouse... He was definitely an inspiration.

His "bio-mechanical" influence on video games is unmistakable as well.
 

PunkRex

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Feb 19, 2010
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I never really looked at his art (I should fix this) but the dude was a major influence on nerdism in general, sucks that he had to go by falling.
 

Riff Moonraker

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Mar 18, 2010
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I can remember first seeing some of his artwork in Heavy Metal magazine, just before the Alien movie hit the ground running. Amazing, insane, erotic, psychotic, disturbing, creepy, brilliant artwork.
 

karloss01

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Jul 5, 2009
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My world has fallen around me D:

Alien is my favourite film franchise and the reason I started Tyranids in 3rd edition 40K.

today/yesterday is/was a sad day.
 

Skull Bearer

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Mar 6, 2012
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Well today just got shit :(
I wish I could have met him, he sounded like a marvelous guy. I love his work, particularly his early ink prints from the '60s, they are so gorgeously creepy.

A really sad day.
 

karloss01

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Trishbot said:
I passed my art exam with a fusion of H.R. Giger and Mickey Mouse... He was definitely an inspiration.

His "bio-mechanical" influence on video games is unmistakable as well.
That reminds me, I remember seeing a art piece for my school's GCSEs that was a Giger inspired piece that depicted a tyranid gant curled up done with coal.