H.R. Giger

About H.R. Giger

Who is it?: Miscellaneous Crew, Director, Art Department
Birth Day: February 05, 1940
Birth Place:  Chur, Switzerland, Switzerland
Died On: 12 May 2014(2014-05-12) (aged 74)\nZürich, Switzerland
Birth Sign: Pisces
Cause of death: Complications from falling
Occupation: Painter, sculptor, set designer, film director
Style: Science fiction, fantasy, occult, macabre
Spouse(s): Mia Bonzanigo (1979–81; divorced) Carmen Maria Scheifele (2006–14; his death)
Partner(s): Li Tobler (1966–75)
Website: hrgiger.com

H.R. Giger Net Worth

H.R. Giger was born on February 05, 1940 in  Chur, Switzerland, Switzerland, is Miscellaneous Crew, Director, Art Department. H.R. Giger, one of the preeminent artists of Fantastic Realism, was a Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor and set designer known for his biomechanical creatures, extraterrestrial landscapes and disturbing, though memorable, imagery of grotesque sensuality. Enticed with the bug of creativity from an early age Giger went on to graduate with a degree in Interior and Industrial Design. Though his creations were surrealist and nightmarish, the sculptor himself was a warm and generous soul. Giger remained committed to his craft till the very end and was fondly remembered by his family, friends and acquaintances in the world of art and music. His name became synonymous with the science fiction movie ‘Alien’ in which he created the designs for the otherworldly creature. The movie changed the scenario of science fiction genre. Apparently Giger’s nightmares, which he used to scribble in his artist pad, were the source of inspiration for the design of ‘Alien’. In a career that spanned more than five decades, his designs graced museums walls, posters, books, album covers, furniture, entire buildings, several movie sets and more. But this generous and humble artist avoided the limelight and rather let his work speak volumes of his mastery. To know more about the life and works of the famous artist, sculptor and set-designer read on.
H.R. Giger is a member of Miscellaneous Crew

💰 Net worth: Under Review

Some H.R. Giger images

Biography/Timeline

1940

Giger was born in 1940 in Chur, capital city of Graubünden, the largest and easternmost Swiss canton. His father, a pharmacist, viewed art as a "breadless profession" and strongly encouraged him to enter pharmacy, Giger recalled. He moved to Zürich in 1962, where he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts until 1970.

1962

Giger's most distinctive stylistic innovation was that of a representation of human bodies and machines in a cold, interconnected relationship, he described as "biomechanical". His main influences were Painters Dado, Ernst Fuchs and Salvador Dalí. He met Salvador Dalí, to whom he was introduced by Painter Robert Venosa. Giger was also influenced by the work of the Sculptor Stanislas Szukalski, and by the Painters Austin Osman Spare and Mati Klarwein. He was also a personal friend of Timothy Leary. Giger studied interior and industrial design at the School of Commercial Art in Zurich (from 1962 to 1965) and made his first paintings as a means of art therapy.

1968

Giger directed a number of films, including Swiss Made (1968), Tagtraum (1973), Giger's Necronomicon (1975) and Giger's Alien (1979).

1969

Giger's first success was when H. H. Kunz, co-owner of Switzerland's first poster publishing company, printed and distributed Giger's first posters, beginning in 1969.

1975

Giger had a relationship with Swiss Actress Li Tobler until she committed suicide in 1975. Li's image appears in many of his paintings. He married Mia Bonzanigo in 1979; they divorced a year and a half later.

1980

Giger's style and thematic execution were influential. He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for their design work on the film Alien. His design for the Alien was inspired by his painting Necronom IV and earned him an Oscar in 1980. His books of paintings, particularly Necronomicon and Necronomicon II (1985) and the frequent appearance of his art in Omni magazine continued his rise to international prominence. Giger was admitted to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2013. He is also well known for artwork on several music recording albums including Danzig III: How The Gods Kill by Danzig, Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Deborah Harry's KooKoo.

1998

In 1998, Giger acquired the Château St. Germain in Gruyères, Switzerland, and it now houses the H.R. Giger Museum, a permanent repository of his work.

2009

Giger applied his biomechanical style to interior design. One "Giger Bar" appeared in Tokyo, but the realization of his designs was a great disappointment to him, since the Japanese organization behind the venture did not wait for his final designs, and instead used Giger's rough preliminary sketches. For that reason Giger disowned the Tokyo bar. The two Giger Bars in his native Switzerland, in Gruyères and Chur, were built under Giger's close supervision and they accurately reflect his original concepts. At The Limelight in Manhattan, Giger's artwork was licensed to decorate the VIP room, the uppermost chapel of the landmarked church, but it was never intended to be a permanent installation and bore no similarity to the bars in Switzerland. The arrangement was terminated after two years when the Limelight closed. As of 2009 only the two authentic Swiss Giger Bars remain.

2014

Dark Star: H. R. Giger's World, a biographical documentary by Belinda Sallin, debuted 27 September 2014 in Zurich, Switzerland.

2015

In addition to his awards, Giger was recognized by a variety of festivals and institutions. On the one year anniversary of his death, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City staged the series The Unseen Cinema of HR Giger in May 2015.