H.R. Giger Has Passed at the Age of 74

A sad day is upon us, sci-fi and horror fans. Swiss artist H.R. Giger has passed at the age of 74. Holywood Reporter reports that the he died as the result to a fall in his home in Zurich, Switzerland.

According to Hollywood Reporter,

Sandra Mivelaz, administrator of the H.R. Giger Museum in Gruyeres, western Switzerland, told the Associated Press that Giger died in a hospital on Monday.

Hans Rudolf “Ruedi” Giger, born February 5, 1940 in Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland, was a famous fine artist, well known for his sculpting, painting, and set design work. On top of producing several art books of gorgeously rendered pieces which focused primarily on death and eroticism, and working with a fair number of artistic projects for recording artists, he is best known for his contributions to film. His most recognizable work can be seen in the entire Alien franchise, Prometheus, Species, and Poltergeist II: The Other Side.

Giger was also largely responsible for the of a visual art style he dubbed “biomechanical”, which has rooted well in the tattoo community. He worked in ink, oils, pastels, and airbrush and there is a ton of his work to be found out there. Take a look at his first art book, the Necronomicon, if you’re looking for a nice compendium of his fairly disturbing techno-organic style for your coffee table.

Image: J. Ulrich