ABBREVIATED BIOGRAPHY
Recognized throughout the entire world as the creator of Alien,
H.R. Giger is, first and foremost, one of the greatest visionary artists of his century. Born in Chur, Switzerland on February 5, 1940, he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts. By 1964 he was producing his first artworks, mostly ink drawings and oil paintings, leading to his first solo exhibition in 1966, followed by the publication and world-wide distribution of his first poster edition in 1969. Shortly after, he discovered the airbrush and, along with it, his own unique freehand painting style, leading to the creation of many of his most well known works, the surrealistic Biomechanical visions, which formed the cornerstone of his fame. To date, 20 books have been published about his artwork.
Giger’s third and most famous book, Necronomicon, published in 1977, served as the visual inspiration for director Ridley Scott’s film Alien, Giger's first film assignment, which earned him the 1980 Oscar for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his designs of the film's title character and its otherworldly environment. Giger's other film works include Poltergeist II, Alien3 and Species.
Throughout his career, Giger also worked in sculpture and, in 1992, created his first total environment, the Giger Bar in Chur.
In 1998, The Museum HR Giger was inaugurated in the Château St. Germain, a four-level building complex in the historic, medieval walled city of Gruyères, Switzerland. As the permanent home to many of the artist’s most prominent works, the Giger Museum houses the largest collection of the artist's paintings, sculptures, furniture and film designs, dating from the early 1960's until the present day. Displayed on the museum's top floor is Giger's own private art collection, as well as the the HR Giger Museum Gallery where, on a rotating basis, Giger curates one-man shows for other artists.
On April 12, 2003, the new HR Giger Museum Bar was officially opened as part of the museum complex. Giger’s designs for the bar emphasizes the pre-existing Gothic architecture of the 400 year old space. The giant skeletal arches covering the vaulted ceiling, together with the bar’s fantastic stony furniture, evoke the building’s original medieval character and give the space a church-like feeling.
Giger continues to live in Zurich with Carmen Scheifele, creating new sculptures, planning upcoming exhibitions, and working on a variety of new projects.
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