Hans Rudolf Giger
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Hans Rudolf "Ruedi" Giger is recognized as one of the world’s leading artists of Fantastic Realism. When Giger was a child, he developed a strong passion for all things that was surreal and ghoulish. He drew to visual arts because he feels the need to express himself and to share the unique characteristics of his powerful imagination. His works are inspired by his own dreams and the brilliant metaphors of some incredible geniuses such as Gustav Meyrink, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Kubin and H.P. Lovecraft. Giger once said, "I like to combine human beings, creatures and biomechanics. And I love to work with bones - they are elemental and function and, after all, are part of human beings. I have many bones in my home in Zurich, and I study them and use them as models." His captivating biomechanical style, brilliant mixture of flesh and machine, has been comprehended not only through his remarkable paintings but also through sculpture pieces, elegantly fashioned furniture, and architectural and interior design projects. His paintings have been displayed in galleries and museums throughout the world.
Giger was the second child born to a chemist’s family in Chur, Switzerland on February 5, 1940. In 1962 he moved to Zurich, where he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts during the day and produced his arts in his spare time. Giger was producing his first artworks of mostly ink drawings and oil paintings by 1964. He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in 1966, and started a full time job as a designer for Andreas Christen, working on an office furniture program for the Knoll International company.
In the same year, Giger resulted in his first solo exhibition at the Gallery Benno in Zurich. Yet, he met the beautiful actress Li Tober while living with his actor friend Paul Weibeland and falls frantically in love with her. Many of the female faces that are seen in Giger's early work are based on Li's face. Perhaps the most famous paintings depicting Li are two eponymous paintings, Li I and Li II; two of Giger's most well-known and familiar works. Unfortunately, after a years of dating, Li committed suicide in 1975 due to depression.
In 1969, his first poster, “Astreunuchen” publicized worldwide. Soon after that, he discovered the airbrush and with the use of his own unique freehand painting style, it lead him to the creation of many of his most well known works, the surrealistic Biomechanical dreamscapes, which formed the foundation of his fame.
Giger’s popular art book, “Necronomicon” was published in 1977 and it caught the eyes of the director Ridley Scott at the same time as he was searching for the right look for a creature in his upcoming film “Alien”. It was Giger's first high-profile film assignment, and in 1980 he earned an Oscar for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his designs of the film's title character, including all the stages of its lifecycle. Giger's other well-known film work includes his designs for Poltergeist II, Alien 3 and Species.
In 1979, he married Mia Bonzanigo; they separated a year and a half later, but remained friends. For decades, Giger designs covers for recording artists such as Korn, Dead Kennedy, Deborah Harry, and many others. He had also designed for other movies including Future Killed, (which he design artwork for the movie poster) Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, and others.
On June 20, 1998, The Museum H R Giger opened its doors in Gruyeres, Switzerland. As the stable home to many of Giger’s key works, the museum houses the largest and most extraordinary collection of the artist’s paintings and sculptures, furniture and film designs, dating from the early 1960’s till the present day. The museum’s top floor houses a permanent display of Giger’s own private art collection and the Museum Gallery where Giger curates one-man exhibitions on the work of other artists. There is also a Giger Bar, bordering the museum to draw the attention of younger visitors.
Giger’s is a very artistic and astounding individual, his biomechanics artworks goes beyond talent. It crosses the threshold of miraculous, and definitely the land of genius. I cannot put in enough words of what I think of this artist; all I can say is that he brilliant and his artworks will be remembered for many years to come and many more after that.
Works Cited
About the Artist, 3, December 2010. < http://political-analysis.org/artists/id15.html>
Art cyclopedia, 4, December 2010. < http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/giger_hr.html>
H. R. Abbreviated Biography, 3, December 2010.
Museum H. R Giger, 3, December 2010. < http://www.hrgigermuseum.com/>
Thill, Scott. H.R. “Giger’s Cyborg Horror Merges Sex, Tech, Legend”. 4, December 2010.
< http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/02/hr-gigers-cyborg-horror-merges-sex-tech-legend/>
.
Giger was the second child born to a chemist’s family in Chur, Switzerland on February 5, 1940. In 1962 he moved to Zurich, where he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts during the day and produced his arts in his spare time. Giger was producing his first artworks of mostly ink drawings and oil paintings by 1964. He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in 1966, and started a full time job as a designer for Andreas Christen, working on an office furniture program for the Knoll International company.
In the same year, Giger resulted in his first solo exhibition at the Gallery Benno in Zurich. Yet, he met the beautiful actress Li Tober while living with his actor friend Paul Weibeland and falls frantically in love with her. Many of the female faces that are seen in Giger's early work are based on Li's face. Perhaps the most famous paintings depicting Li are two eponymous paintings, Li I and Li II; two of Giger's most well-known and familiar works. Unfortunately, after a years of dating, Li committed suicide in 1975 due to depression.
In 1969, his first poster, “Astreunuchen” publicized worldwide. Soon after that, he discovered the airbrush and with the use of his own unique freehand painting style, it lead him to the creation of many of his most well known works, the surrealistic Biomechanical dreamscapes, which formed the foundation of his fame.
Giger’s popular art book, “Necronomicon” was published in 1977 and it caught the eyes of the director Ridley Scott at the same time as he was searching for the right look for a creature in his upcoming film “Alien”. It was Giger's first high-profile film assignment, and in 1980 he earned an Oscar for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his designs of the film's title character, including all the stages of its lifecycle. Giger's other well-known film work includes his designs for Poltergeist II, Alien 3 and Species.
In 1979, he married Mia Bonzanigo; they separated a year and a half later, but remained friends. For decades, Giger designs covers for recording artists such as Korn, Dead Kennedy, Deborah Harry, and many others. He had also designed for other movies including Future Killed, (which he design artwork for the movie poster) Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, and others.
On June 20, 1998, The Museum H R Giger opened its doors in Gruyeres, Switzerland. As the stable home to many of Giger’s key works, the museum houses the largest and most extraordinary collection of the artist’s paintings and sculptures, furniture and film designs, dating from the early 1960’s till the present day. The museum’s top floor houses a permanent display of Giger’s own private art collection and the Museum Gallery where Giger curates one-man exhibitions on the work of other artists. There is also a Giger Bar, bordering the museum to draw the attention of younger visitors.
Giger’s is a very artistic and astounding individual, his biomechanics artworks goes beyond talent. It crosses the threshold of miraculous, and definitely the land of genius. I cannot put in enough words of what I think of this artist; all I can say is that he brilliant and his artworks will be remembered for many years to come and many more after that.
Works Cited
About the Artist, 3, December 2010. < http://political-analysis.org/artists/id15.html>
Art cyclopedia, 4, December 2010. < http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/giger_hr.html>
H. R. Abbreviated Biography, 3, December 2010.
Museum H. R Giger, 3, December 2010. < http://www.hrgigermuseum.com/>
Thill, Scott. H.R. “Giger’s Cyborg Horror Merges Sex, Tech, Legend”. 4, December 2010.
< http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/02/hr-gigers-cyborg-horror-merges-sex-tech-legend/>
.
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