Skip to Content

The worlds of art and visual effects lost an iconic figure today.

While HR Giger may not be a household name in the US, if you’re a fan of science fiction films, you’ve almost certainly enjoyed his work at some point in the last 35 years.

Giger will perhaps be best remembered for a book of artwork he released in 1977 that inspired the appearance of the “xenomorph” character in Ridley Scott’s original Alien film.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

That movie, of course, launched a franchise that continues to spawn sequels to this day.

 

Born in Switzerland in 1940, the Alien design remains Giger’s best known work, but he has also contributed his unique, dark vision to video games such as Dark Seed and album covers by artists such as Debbie Harry.

Giger’s tremendous influence can be seen in many art forms. His notions about the merging of humans and machines can be seen in movies such as The Matrix as well as in the films of director David Cronenberg. 

In addition to creating the original sketches upon which the creature in Alien was based, Giger helped design the film’s memorably creepy sets. 

Giger continues to be celebrated for his paintings and sculptures, many of which are on display in his own museum, which is housed in a medieval castle in Switzerland.

HR Giger reportedly died of injuries sustained in a fall.