Description

Copulating man-machines, fear of the atom bomb, and demons drawn from Lovecraft and Tolkien. Begun shortly before the artist's unexpected death, this huge monograph explores the dark psychedelia and haunting power of HR Giger's art, through painting, sculpture, film work, and iconic album covers. With an in-depth essay by Andreas J. Hirsch, contemporary quotes and reviews, and an extensive biography.

Swiss artist HR Giger (1940-2014) is most famous for his creation of the space monster in Ridley Scott's 1979 horror sci-fi film Alien, which earned him an Oscar. In retrospect, this was just one of the most popular expressions of Giger's biomechanical arsenal of creatures, which merged hybrids of human and machine. These images gave expression to the collective fears and fantasies of his age: fear of the atom, of pollution and wasted resources, and of a future in which our bodies depend on machines for survival. This huge monograph pays homage to Giger's unique vision. It shows the complete story of his life and art, his sculptures, the film works and iconic album covers as well as the heritage he has left us in his own artist's museum and cafe in the Swiss Alps.