H.R. Giger

H.R. Giger (1940-2014)
Biomechanische Landschaft I (Biochemical Landscape I)
27¹⁄₂ X 39¹⁄₂in. (70 X 100cm.)
signed 'H. Giger' (lower right); Signed, titled and dated ‘Biomechanische Landschaft 79 I HR. Giger’ (on the reverse)
acrylic on Paper on Panel
executed in 1979

A superb example of H.R. Giger’s pioneering 'biomechanical' work, which defined the aesthetic of the legendary film Alien. This piece masterfully illustrates the theme which runs through his body of work: the fusion of the organic with the industrial to create scenes of exquisitely metallic body horror which speak to an inexplicable primal fear deep in the human psyche. Put simply in Giger’s own words: 'I paint the things that scare me'.

Giger’s work first caught the eye of Alien director Ridley Scott when he saw a copy of Giger’s Necronomicon open on a table in the 20th Century Fox office building. Scott was convinced in an instant that this would be the man to design the horrifying Xenomorph at the centre of his upcoming film. Over the course of the design process, Giger and Scott became close collaborators, and the artist's talent for 'horror and beauty' eventually influenced not just the design for the monster, but the concepts of the set, costumes and the overall aesthetic of the film.

Private Swiss Collection (acquired directly from the artist).
Anon. sale, Galerie Koller, Zurich, 4 June 2002, lot 174,
Acquired from the above by the present owner.

M. Belz and M. Witzig, eds, Werkverzeichnis, 2007, p. 51, no. 416 (illustrated).
A. J. Hirsch, ed. H. W. Holzwarth, H.R. Giger, Cologne, 2021, pp. 302-303 (illustrated).