H.R. Giger

The Swiss artist whose designs for Alien won an Academy Award for visual effects.

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Hans Ruedi Giger (5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images blending human physiques with machines, an art style he termed 'biomechanical'. He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, specifically responsible for creating the xenomorph alien itself. His design for the creature was inspired by his painting Necronom IV. Giger's work on Alien also included the 'Derelict' spacecraft and the 'Space Jockey'. He later designed the dog-like Alien bodyshape for Alien 3 and contributed original extraterrestrial murals to Prometheus, which credited him for designs based on the first film.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Hans Ruedi Giger

Born

5 February 1940

Birthplace

Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland

Died

12 May 2014

Place of death

Zürich, Switzerland

Occupation

Painter
sculptor
set designer
film director

Style

Biomechanical art
science fiction
horror
fantasy

Partner

Li Tobler (1966–1975)

Lore & Background

Giger's contribution to the Alien franchise began with his painting Necronom IV, which served as the direct inspiration for the xenomorph. The design earned him an Academy Award in 1980. His vision extended beyond the creature; he designed the 'Derelict' spacecraft and the 'Space Jockey' for the original 1979 film. In Alien 3, he designed a dog-like Alien bodyshape and numerous unused concepts mentioned on the special features disc, though he was not credited in the theatrical version. The 2012 film Prometheus included the 'Derelict' and 'Space Jockey' designs from the first film, along with a 'Temple' design originating from a failed Alejandro Jodorowsky Dune project, plus original murals created exclusively for the movie. The 2017 sequel Alien: Covenant continued this legacy by showcasing the Proto Bloodburster / Neomorph in David's lab, a design created but unused for Prometheus.

Reader's Guide

He worked predominantly in airbrush to create monochromatic canvasses depicting surreal, nightmarish dreamscapes, though he also utilized pastels, markers, and ink. His influences included painters Dado, Ernst Fuchs, Salvador Dalí (introduced by Robert Venosa), Stanislaw Szukalski, Austin Osman Spare, and Mati Klarwein. He studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts in Zürich from 1962 until 1970. His career spanned various creative roles: he directed Swiss Made in 1968 and helped design the first professional video clip for 'Böhse Onkelz' titled 'Dunkler Ort' in 2000. For the music industry, his art appeared on albums by Danzig, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Dead Kennedys (leading to an obscenity trial over Landscape XX), and Celtic Frost. He even designed biomechanical microphone stands for Korn's Jonathan Davis, resulting in five aluminum units.

Did You Know?

He won an Academy Award in 1980 as part of the special effects team for Alien.
The asteroid 109712 Giger was named in his memory in July 2018.
Giger disowned the 'Giger Bar' in Tokyo because the organizers used rough preliminary sketches instead of waiting for his final designs, whereas the bars in Gruyères and Chur were built under his close supervision.
He directed a number of films, including Swiss Made (1968), Tagtraum (1973), and Giger's Necronomicon (1975).