H.R. Giger

IntroductionHans Rudolf Giger was born Feb 5, 1940 he is a surrealist

painter from Switzerland, as well as a sculptor and set designer. He is most famous for his artistic contributions to the science-fiction film franchise ‘Alien’ (1979 – 2007).

His work has been inspired by several surrealist artists such as Salvador Dali, Hans Bellmer, Hieronymus Bosch and the psychologist Sigmund Freud’s dream theory.

‘The Birth Machine’ (1967) Ink on transcop on paper/wood.

‘Kitchen Door’ (1973)Ink On Paper

‘Front In Entrance Hall’ (1973)

Hans BellmerHans Bellmer (1902 - 1975) was a German artist from Katowice, he was considered to be a surrealist and was best known for his life sized female dolls made in the mid 30's. According to 'Hans Bellmer: The Anatomy of Anxiety' he paid eager attention to his dreams.

Like Dali, who read Freud ........... Bellmer gained familiarity with Freud's ideas even before he joined the French surrealist group

SurrealismSurrealism was a cultural movement founded in the 1920’s by Andre BretonIt is an aesthetic philosophy which frees the mind and emphasizes the power of the

subconscious influenced by FreudThe greatest known surrealist artist is the world famous Salvador Dali.

Salvador DaliSalvador Dali was born 1904 and died 1989He was told by his parents that he was the reincarnation of

his older brother who died just 9 months before Dali’s birth

In February 1921, Dalí's mother died of breast cancer. Later on in life he said his mother's death “was the greatest blow I had experienced in my life. I worshipped her... I could not resign myself to the loss of a being on whom I counted to make invisible the unavoidable blemishes of my soul.” After her death, Dalí's father married his deceased wife's sister. Dalí did not resent this marriage, because he had a great love and respect for his aunt.

Dali’s most recognizable work is an oil painting called ‘The Persistence of Memory’ (1931) also known as ‘The Melting Clocks’.

The Persistence of MemoryThe well-known surrealist piece introduced the image of the soft melting pocket watch.

It epitomises Dali's theory of “softness” and “hardness”, which was central to his thinking at the time

It is possible to recognize a human figure in the middle of the painting in the strange “creature” that Dali used in several period pieces to represent himself – the abstract form becoming something of a self portrait, reappearing frequently in his work

As you can see the orange clock in the bottom left of the painting is covered in ants, Dali often used ants as a symbol for death, as well as a symbol of female Genitalia.

‘Persistence of memory’ (1931)

"HR Giger is an artist of visions, who has depicted the collective fears of a humanity faced with the threat of nuclear destruction and the mechanization of life in archetypal images created in his distinctive biomechanical style. He is a magician of dreams, who, in cycles such as the "Necronomicon" or the "Tarot", probes the most deeply hidden layers of the subconscious and penetrates to the abysses of all that is nightmarish and demonic. Running through HR Giger's entire oeuvre, like two closely entwined threads, are the themes of sexuality and death; in the exhibition, a special section is devoted to "Eros und Thanatos"."

Eros and Thanatos are terminologies of Sigmund Freud:

Eros - the sexual drive or creative life forceThanatos - the death force or destructivenessFreud believed that we are in tension with these biological energies and we are constantly stimulated to keep them balanced empowered by the Libido energy.

Quote: http://www.kunsthauswien.com/en/exhibitions/currentFreudian Theories : http://www.trans4mind.com/mind-development/freud.html

In an interview Giger explains his background interests for his work saying he "always wanted to find what's inside of me."He also described his designs (particularly alien) as "bio-mechanics, "combining machines with humans biologically and seeing the human anatomy as being a mechanism.

Freud believed in the existence of the subconscious mind and that dreams were a gateway to a persons repressed thoughts and desires. He believed that the dreams could be analyzed and interpreted to unlock the hidden meanings behind them.

Freud’s Dream Theory

‘In order to live in a civilized society, people have a tendency to hold back their urges and repress their impulses. However, these urges and impulses must be released in some way; they have a way of coming to the surface in disguised form: one way they are released is through dreams. Freud discovered that the elements in a subject's dream tend to be particularly close to repressed unconscious content and that free associations starting from those dream elements quickly encounter topics causing emotional arousal as the unconscious is stimulated, followed by resistance to those feelings’. He believes there’s a part of the mind that encodes the repressed urges and impulses in dreams through symbolism; often related to sex. For example anything of a phallic nature in its shape and nature would symbolize the male genitalia.

Giger’s work is heavily influenced by this theory.

‘The Birth Machine’ (1967) Ink on transcop on paper/wood.

In an interview he got his inspiration from the idea of accupucnture and Debbie Harry being the ‘Queen’ of punk rock he associated that with the idea of safety pins relating the whole idea of pins entering the body. Bringing these ideas together he chose to put pins through her head.

Debbie Harry’s album cover for KooKoo Designed by Giger

Screen shot from the music video ‘ Now I Know You Know’

Science Fiction Films TodayGiger is the most prominent designer of several creatures in recent science fiction movies. Most notably The ‘Alien’ film series, ‘Species I’ and ‘II’ and ‘Poltergeist II’

‘H.R. Giger is responsible for changing the face of science fiction. Before Alien; directed by Ridley Scott, the realm of space creatures was confined to laughable costumes and little green men. This stunning vision based on Giger's biomechanical surrealism brought space travel into an age of acid-bleeding terror. Alien brought Giger international recognition as an artistic pioneer. It also earned him the Academy Award in 1980 for "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Effects".’

http://www.giger-art.com/giger-alien-movie.html

In Conclusion:

• • • • • • • • Due to the success of Alien and its following films, Giger’s designs have influenced multiple science fiction franchises. Influences from his work can be seen in many films or television series still being made now in horror, fantasy and science-fiction.