Giger - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3836534207 ISBN 13: 9783836534208

Publisher: TASCHEN, 2018

Synopsis

Swiss artist HR Giger (1940–2014) is most famous for his creation of the space monster in Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror sci-fi film Alien, which earned him an Oscar. In retrospect, this was just one of the most popular expressions of Giger’s biomechanical arsenal of creatures, which consistently merged hybrids of human and machine into images of haunting power and dark psychedelia.

The visions drew on demons of the past, harking back as far as Giger’s earliest childhood fears as well as evoking mythologies for the future. Above all, they gave expression to the collective fears and fantasies of his age: fear of the atom, of pollution and wasted resources, and of a future in which our bodies depend on machines for survival.

From surrealist dream landscapes created with a spray gun and stencils to album cover designs, from guillotine-like sculptures to self-designed bars, Giger personally guides us through his multi-faceted universe in this definitive introduction to a master of horror. Detailed reproductions and designs and a foreword by Timothy Leary complement Giger’s intimate autobiographical texts.

About the series

Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:

a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance

a concise biography

approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

About this title

About the Authors

HR Giger (1940–2014) was a Swiss painter, sculptor, and designer, who combined surrealist influences and dark fantasies to create his very own biomechanical universe. He first received acclaim in the 1960s with his airbrushed fantasies of post-apocalyptic creatures and landscapes, and rose to fame through high profile movie work, most notably the creation of the monster in Alien, which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. HR Giger was named in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2013.

HR Giger (1940–2014) was a Swiss painter, sculptor, and designer, who combined surrealist influences and dark fantasies to create his very own biomechanical universe. He first received acclaim in the 1960s with his airbrushed fantasies of post-apocalyptic creatures and landscapes, and rose to fame through high profile movie work, most notably the creation of the monster in Alien, which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. HR Giger was named in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2013.

From the Back Cover

Der Schweizer Künstler HR Giger (1940-2014) wurde vor allem durch die Gestaltung des Weltraummonsters für Ridley Scotts Scifi-Horrorfilm Alien (1979) berühmt, für das er mit einem Oscar ausgezeichnet wurde. Das Alien ist zweifellos der Star aus Gigers umfangreichem Arsenal biomechanischer Geschöpfe, doch nur eines von vielen Zwitterwesen aus Mensch und Maschine, mit denen Giger unsere Albträume bevölkerte, Kreaturen von eindringlicher Kraft, schrecklicher Schönheit, morbid-erotischer Drastik und surrealer Fantastik. Giger schuf eine völlig eigenständige Bildwelt und verlieh den kollektiven Ängsten seiner Epoche Ausdruck: Angst vor dem Atomkrieg, vor Überbevölkerung und knappen Rohstoffen und einer Zukunft, in der das Überleben unserer Körper von Maschinen abhängen wird.

Dieser Band erzählt anhand autobiografischer Texte und einer Fülle exzellent-schauriger Abbildungen Gigers Lebensgeschichte und gibt Einblick in ein überaus facettenreiches Werk. Er zeigt Gigers Skulpturen, Interieurs, Zeichnungen, Gemälde und Plattencover, seine ausgefeilten Setdesigns für Filme wie Species, Alien oder Dune, das einzigartige Giger-Museum und die fantastische, ganz von Giger designte Bar in der Kleinstadt Gruyères in der französischen Schweiz. Das Vorwort schrieb Gigers Freund Timothy Leary.

Edition details

• Publisher: TASCHEN
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3836534207
• ISBN 13: 9783836534208
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96