Timothy Leary once said, "Giger, you are an alien lurking inside my body, laying your futique eggs of wonder."
Renown for his monochromatic dystopian landscapes, perverse creatures and machines fused to organic beings,
H. R. Giger is recognized as one of the world’s foremost artists of Fantastic Realism. Born in 1940 to a chemist’s family in Chur, Switzerland, he moved in 1962 to Zurich, where he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts. By 1964 he was producing his first artworks, mostly ink drawings and oil paintings, resulting in his first solo exhibition in 1966, followed by the publication and world-wide distribution of his first poster edition in 1969. Shortly after, he discovered the airbrush and, along with it, his own unique freehand painting style, leading to the creation of many of his most well known works, the surrealistic Biomechanical dreamscapes, which formed the cornerstone of his fame. To date, more than 20 books have been published about Giger’s art.
Renown for his monochromatic dystopian landscapes, perverse creatures and machines fused to organic beings,
H. R. Giger is recognized as one of the world’s foremost artists of Fantastic Realism. Born in 1940 to a chemist’s family in Chur, Switzerland, he moved in 1962 to Zurich, where he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts. By 1964 he was producing his first artworks, mostly ink drawings and oil paintings, resulting in his first solo exhibition in 1966, followed by the publication and world-wide distribution of his first poster edition in 1969. Shortly after, he discovered the airbrush and, along with it, his own unique freehand painting style, leading to the creation of many of his most well known works, the surrealistic Biomechanical dreamscapes, which formed the cornerstone of his fame. To date, more than 20 books have been published about Giger’s art.
Giger’s most famous book, Necronomicon, published in 1977, served as the visual inspiration for director Sir Ridley Scott’s ground-breaking science-fiction thriller ALIEN. One year later, H.R. Giger created two of the most iconic pieces of film art in motion picture history. Labeled the ‘Derelict’ and ‘Space Jockey’ their originality and influence became landmarks in both the film and fine art worlds.
"Giger surely has one of the most original visions in late 20th-century art."
– Clive Barker
ALIEN was Giger's first high-profile film assignment, which earned him the 1980 Oscar for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his designs of the film's title character, including all the stages of its lifecycle, plus the film’s the extraterrestrial environments. Giger's other well-known film work includes his designs for Poltergeist II, Alien3 and Species, as well as the legendary unmade film, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune. His otherworldly and often grotesque art has also graced album covers for Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Debbie Harry and Danzig.
In 2012 Sir Ridley Scott returned to the ALIEN universe with Prometheus which was motivated and dependent on the ‘Derelict’ and ‘Space Jockey’ that H.R. Giger created 24 years prior.
However, despite their impact, universal admiration and the continued interest in them, HR Giger never produced scaled versions of these classic creations. When creating his designs for film, there was neither the time, nor need for Giger to sculpt them.
Then in 2010 Giger determined that the Alien Room in the HR Giger Museum in Gruyeres, Switzerland would be greatly enhanced by the sculptural presence of the ‘Space Jockey’ and the ‘Derelict’. To achieve this ambitious project Giger worked with one of his sculpting assistants, Jules Bloom, to produce his own scaled down models of the ‘Derelict’ and ‘Space Jockey’.
Returning to his original paintings, preliminary sketches and archive photographs, Giger and Jules, painstakingly recreated these iconic movie monuments, which now are part of the HR Giger Museum’s permanent collection and are on loan in this exhibition. These two sculptures are Identical in both detail and form to the preceding artworks and an enduring testament to HR Giger’s unique vision and originality.
On 12th May 2014 at the age of 74, H.R. Giger tragically passed away. Guerrilla Zoo are very honoured to be exhibiting the 'Derelict' and 'Space Jockey' at Modern Panic V. These are among the last projects that were completed by HR Giger before his untimely passing.
In 2012 Sir Ridley Scott returned to the ALIEN universe with Prometheus which was motivated and dependent on the ‘Derelict’ and ‘Space Jockey’ that H.R. Giger created 24 years prior.
However, despite their impact, universal admiration and the continued interest in them, HR Giger never produced scaled versions of these classic creations. When creating his designs for film, there was neither the time, nor need for Giger to sculpt them.
Then in 2010 Giger determined that the Alien Room in the HR Giger Museum in Gruyeres, Switzerland would be greatly enhanced by the sculptural presence of the ‘Space Jockey’ and the ‘Derelict’. To achieve this ambitious project Giger worked with one of his sculpting assistants, Jules Bloom, to produce his own scaled down models of the ‘Derelict’ and ‘Space Jockey’.
Returning to his original paintings, preliminary sketches and archive photographs, Giger and Jules, painstakingly recreated these iconic movie monuments, which now are part of the HR Giger Museum’s permanent collection and are on loan in this exhibition. These two sculptures are Identical in both detail and form to the preceding artworks and an enduring testament to HR Giger’s unique vision and originality.
On 12th May 2014 at the age of 74, H.R. Giger tragically passed away. Guerrilla Zoo are very honoured to be exhibiting the 'Derelict' and 'Space Jockey' at Modern Panic V. These are among the last projects that were completed by HR Giger before his untimely passing.
"A mysterious blend of erotic beauty and ferocity."
– New York Times
For more information about the show and other participating artists please visit the exhibition page.
Images courtesy of Jules Bloom
Images courtesy of Jules Bloom
 | Modern Panic V curated by James Elphick Apiary Studios, 458 Hackney Rd, London, E2 9EG Saturday 8th - Sunday 16th November 2014 11am - 7pm daily WEB: www.guerrillazoo.com/modern-panic-5 RSVP: www.facebook.com/events/509503689152410 |
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