Giger

<p>Swiss artist <strong>HR Giger</strong> (1940–2014) is most famous for his creation of the space monster in Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror sci-fi film <em>Alien</em>, which earned him an Oscar. In retrospect, this was just one of the most popular expressions of Giger’s <strong>biomechanical arsenal of creatures</strong>, which consistently merged hybrids of human and machine into <strong>images of haunting power and dark psychedelia</strong>.<br /><br /> The visions drew on demons of the past, harking back as far as Giger’s earliest childhood fears as well as evoking mythologies for the future. Above all, they<strong> gave expression to the collective fears and fantasies of his age</strong>: fear of the atom, of pollution and wasted resources, and of <strong>a future in which our bodies depend on machines for survival</strong>.<br /><br /> From surrealist dream landscapes created with a spray gun and stencils to album cover designs, from guillotine-like sculptures to self-designed bars, Giger personally guides us through his multi-faceted universe in this <strong>definitive introduction to a master of horror</strong>. Detailed reproductions and designs and a <strong>foreword by Timothy Leary</strong> complement Giger’s <strong>intimate autobiographical texts</strong>.</p>