Historical Figure
H. R. Giger
1940–2014
Swiss artist (1940–2014)
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Biography
Hans Ruedi Giger was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as "biomechanical". He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, and was responsible for creating the xenomorph alien itself. His work is on permanent display at the H. R. Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland. His style has been adapted to many forms of media, including album covers, furniture, and music videos.
Timeline
The story of H. R. Giger, told in moments.
Began the Necronomicon paintings. Biomechanical nightmares. Fused organic tissue with industrial machinery. Nothing in art looked like this before. He worked with an airbrush in a darkened studio.
Designed the Alien creature for Ridley Scott's film. The elongated skull, the double jaw, the biomechanical exoskeleton. Won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Opened the H.R. Giger Museum in Gruyeres, Switzerland. The medieval castle filled with his art. Across the street, the Giger Bar: chairs shaped like vertebrae, walls like rib cages.
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