The Swiss artist H. R. Giger (1940-2014) is best known for his Oscar-winning creation of the space monster in the 1979 futuristic horror film Alien. In retrospect, it was but one of the most celebrated expressions of Giger's biomechanical arsenal of creatures, fusing hybrids of human and machine in images of evocative power and dark psychedelia. His works were inspired by ghosts of the past while evoking mythologies for the future. These images captured the collective fantasies and fears of his time: fear of the nuclear bomb, of pollution and waste of resources, and of a future in which the survival of our bodies is contingent on machines. Through a futuristic gaze, his works were inspired by ghosts of the past, while evoking mythologies for the future.
This edition is based on the SUMO-sized monograph, begun shortly before the artist's unexpected death, and pays tribute to Gigery's unique vision and showcases the full story of his life and art, his sculptures, his film work and his unmistakable album covers, as well as the legacy he has left us in his own museum and café in the Swiss Alps. Through an in-depth study, Andreas J. Hirsch, an expert on Giger's work, delves into the central themes of the artist and his world. The book includes an extensive biography based on contemporary quotations and the artist's own writings.