Alien Creator HR Giger Dies Aged 74


The surrealist's macabre work inspired a generation of Hollywood directors and earned him an Oscar for the 1979 sci-fi film.

11:07am UK, Tuesday 13 May 2014

Giger's hellish designs became world famous. Pic: Matthias Belz

Surrealist designer Hans Ruedi Giger, who won an Oscar for the monster he created for the Hollywood blockbuster Alien, has died at the age of 74.
Sandra Mivelaz, administrator of the HR Giger museum in Chateau St Germain, said the artist died in hospital on Monday from injuries sustained in a fall.
Giger's unique freehand painting style characterised many of his most famous works.
Born in the Swiss town of Chur, he had originally trained as an industrial designer but always had a passion for art.
He shot to global fame when he created the Alien for Ridley Scott's 1979 iconic film, with help from ET creator Carlo Rambaldi.


Sigourney Weaver up close and personal with Giger's Alien in the movie

The nightmarish skeletal monster, with its elongated metallic head and mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth, earned Giger a visual effects Oscar for the film, starring Sigourney Weaver, in 1980.
His macabre designs were also centrepieces in a range of other films, including Poltergeist II, Alien3 and Species.
The artist also gained international recognition for his often dark sculptures.

The HR Giger Museum opened in 1998, becoming home to the biggest collection of his works.
The museum, run by the artist's wife Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger, also houses examples from his vast private art collection, counting works by the likes of Salvador Dali, Dado and Friedrich Kuhn.
In recent years, a number of international museums, including in Paris, Prague and Vienna, have also presented retrospectives of the artist's work.



Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1260554/al...r-dies-aged-74


RIP Giger. Have never seen cocks and fannys look sooooo scary.....