H. R. Giger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
H. R. Giger
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Giger in 2012
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| Born |
Hans Ruedi Giger
5 February 1940 Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland
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| Died | 12 May 2014 (aged 74) Zürich, Switzerland
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| Occupation | Painter, sculptor, set designer, film director |
| Style | Science fiction, fantasy, occult, macabre |
| Spouse(s) |
Mia Bonzanigo
(m. 1979; div. 1981)Carmen Maria Scheifele
(m. 2006) |
| Partner(s) | Li Tobler (1966–1975) |
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Hans Ruedi Giger (pronounced GHEE-ger; born February 5, 1940 – died May 12, 2014) was a famous Swiss artist. He was best known for his unique art style called "biomechanical" art. This style mixes human bodies with machines in a very detailed way.
Giger used different tools for his art, like airbrushed paint, pastels, and markers. He was part of the special effects team that won an Oscar for the look of the 1979 science fiction horror movie Alien. He even designed the scary Alien creature itself! You can see his amazing work at the H.R. Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland. His art style has been used in many places, like album covers, furniture, and even tattoos.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Giger was born in 1940 in Chur, a city in Switzerland. His father was a pharmacist and thought art was not a good way to make money. He wanted Giger to become a pharmacist too.
In 1962, Giger moved to Zürich. There, he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts. He continued his studies until 1970.
Career Highlights
Giger's art career took off in 1969. A company in Switzerland started printing and selling his first posters. This helped his unique style become known.
Giger's art had a big impact on many people. He was part of the team that won an Oscar for the visual effects in the movie Alien. His design for the Alien monster was inspired by his painting called Necronom IV. This design helped him win the Oscar in 1980.
His art books, especially Necronomicon, made him famous around the world. In 2013, Giger was added to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. He also created artwork for many music albums. Some examples include Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer and KooKoo by Debbie Harry.
In 1998, Giger bought the Saint-Germain Castle in Gruyères, Switzerland. This castle is now the H.R. Giger Museum. It holds a permanent collection of his incredible artwork.
Personal Life
Giger lived and worked in Zürich, Switzerland. He was married to Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger. She is now the director of the H.R. Giger Museum.
On May 12, 2014, Giger sadly passed away in a Zürich hospital. He had suffered injuries from a fall.
Artistic Style
Giger began his art journey with small ink drawings. Later, he moved on to painting with oils. For most of his career, he mainly used an airbrush. He created dark, dream-like scenes that often felt like nightmares. He also used pastels, markers, and ink.
Giger's most famous style was "biomechanical." This means he showed humans and machines connected in a cold, almost robotic way. His art was influenced by other painters like Salvador Dalí. He also studied interior and industrial design.
Other Creative Works
Besides painting, Giger also directed several films. These included Swiss Made (1968) and Giger's Alien (1979).
He also designed furniture and applied his biomechanical style to interior spaces. This means he designed the inside of buildings to look like his art.
Film Contributions
Giger's unique designs were used in many films. Here are some of the movies he worked on:
- Alien (He designed the Alien creature, the crashed spaceship, and the "Space Jockey" pilot.)
- Aliens (Credited for creating the creature.)
- Alien 3 (He designed the dog-like Alien shape and other ideas.)
- Species (He designed the creature Sil and a dream sequence.)
- Prometheus (This film used his original designs from Alien and new art he created for it.)
- Alien: Covenant (This film also used his Alien creature and spaceship designs.)
Awards and Recognition
Giger received the Inkpot Award in 1979 for his contributions to art.
After his death, many places honored his work. In May 2015, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City showed a series of his films. A documentary about his life, called Dark Star: H. R. Giger's World, was released in 2014. In 2018, an asteroid was even named 109712 Giger in his memory!
Images for kids
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Giger's signature
See also
In Spanish: H. R. Giger para niños
