It’s with much sorrow that we report that H.R. Giger has been confirmed dead by his museum, having passed on Monday from injuries he sustained during a fall. He was 74 years old.
Giger was a man of all artistic trades, dabbling in ink drawing, polyester, airbrush all in what he described as his “biomechanical” aesthetic. He even found time to direct a handful of short documentaries as well as open his own art museum. What we all know him best for is the timeless and iconic creature design for Alien. I had the opportunity to watch Alien at a local screening not too long ago, and the creature is still as terrifying and intriguing as it was when it was first released, a true testament to the timeless nature of his work. His first work in film were the designs he did for Alejandro Jodorowsky’s failed attempt at making Dune, and as revealed in the aptly titled documentary Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune, Giger’s designs were enduring and engaging enough to have some of it time-travel to Ridley Scott’s 2012 Alien prequel Prometheus.
Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of H.R. Giger at this time.
