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6Hans Ruedi "H. R." Giger (February 5, 1940 – May 12, 2014) was a Swiss [[SurrealHorror surrealist]] {{painter|s}}, {{sculptor|s}}, designer, and concept artist known for the disquieting, [[OrganicTechnology biomechanical]], and often [[FreudWasRight sexual]] imagery in his work.
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8Giger achieved much of his fame from his work in films as a ScienceFiction set and creature designer. Among the film projects he worked on were ''Film/{{Alien}}'', ''Film/{{Alien 3}}'', ''Film/Dune1984'', ''Film/PoltergeistIITheOtherSide'', ''Film/{{Species}}'', and ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'', which actually dusted off some unused concepts from a pre-Creator/DavidLynch ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' film that [[Film/JodorowskysDune never got off the ground]].
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10Several bands have also utilized Giger's art. He provided two {{paintings}} for Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer's album ''Brain Salad Surgery'' (one of which had to be airbrushed for purposes of censorship), the Music/DeadKennedys included a poster of his painting ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Penis Landscape]]'' with their album ''Music/{{Frankenchrist}}'' (for which they got in a little trouble), Music/{{Danzig}} used his art for the cover of ''Danzig III: How the Gods Kill'', and Music/CelticFrost used his painting ''Satan I'' for the cover of their seminal album ''To Mega Therion''.
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12Giger also contributed art to the ''VideoGame/DarkSeed'' games, has a number of bars in Switzerland themed after his art (which are probably [[AlienGeometries nice]], comfortable places to get a drink), and designed [[CoolChair incredibly menacing furniture]].
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14Giger sadly passed away in May 2014 after sustaining injuries in a fall.
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16And his last name is pronounced ''GHEE-ger'', not ''GUY-ger''.
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18%% NOTE - Edit wording, but do NOT perform a Mass-Trope deletion without a Good Reason.
19----
20!!Common themes in Giger's work include:
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22* AdmiringTheAbomination: His works are likely to invoke this in artists and fans of psychology, horror, and design. His claim to mastery was not merely his talent for making high octane NightmareFuel, but his ability to make it aesthetically fascinating, incredibly cool, or even ''beautiful''.
23** At least one character in each film will do this, [[Film/{{Alien}} Ash's line]] 'I admire its purity' being the most quoted.
24* AlienKudzu: His favorite type of plant, closely followed by MeatMoss.
25* AuthorPhobia: He's known to have [[BasedOnADream incorporated his nightmares into his creations]]. Apparently, he often worked through his sleeplessness. Giger also had a phobia of worms and snakes.
26* BodyHorror: TropeCodifier for combining the two in creature design and modern sci-fi horror, his style inspiring an entire generation of later concept artists.
27** Just look at how the Xenomorph incorporates just enough human features into its design to add to the fear it produces. %% Citation go browse a wiki or literally type 'xenomorph design' into the internet.It has Masculine and Feminine elements, for example.
28* DieselPunk: One might easily get the impression from Giger's art that he ''himself'' was a some sort of biomechanical creation.
29* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Giger suffered from intense and frequent nightmares. The things he saw in those dreams inspired all of his paintings and drawings.
30* EternalEngine: Whenever he decided to do a "landscape" that isn't set in the BloodyBowelsOfHell. Or at least when he decided to do one set in hell's industrial district.
31* EvilIsVisceral: Much of his artwork is based on this, thus leading to many of its subtropes.
32* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Both of the works labeled:
33** ''Penis Landscape''
34** His ''Xenoerotica'' portfolio collection.
35* FanDisservice: Giger's artwork frequently features nudity and sexual situations, which tends to be more unsettling (or worse) than sensual (see NightmareFetishist below).
36* NightmareFetishist: He appears to be one, considering the sexual imagery common to his art and the fact that it was '''literally''' [[FreudWasRight inspired by his subconscious night terrors]]. He even has a portfolio collection entitled ''Xenoerotica'', which is exactly what it sounds like.
37* OrganicTechnology: Much of his art portrays humans fused with machines, or humans ''boning'' machines, or [[{{Squick}} humans that are fused with machines boning]] ''[[{{Squick}} other]]'' [[{{Squick}} humans fused with machines, etc.]] He even coined the term "biomechanical".
38* PhallicWeapon: Inversion: Giger occasionally uses guns as a yonic metaphor. Google "Birth Machine" for an example.
39* PsychosexualHorror: Giger's work often involves sexual imagery that applies to both sci-fi and horror.
40* RailEnthusiast: An obscure fact about Giger is his love for trains, complete with a backyard railroad of his own ''unique'' [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a2/45/4d/a2454d42d505e43c57351429d33e56c7.jpg design]].
41* SpikesOfVillainy: If a form isn't disquietingly organic, rounded, and smooth, it's probably sharp and pointy.
42* SurrealHorror: A master of the genre.
43* XenomorphXerox;
44** Inverted in that Giger designed the Xenomorph from the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' franchise based on the creature from his own ''Necronomicon IV'' print.
45** Giger later went on to design the sexy Xenomorph Xerox ''Film/{{Species}}''.
46* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
47** Giger contributed artwork for ''Film/JodorowskysDune'' and ''Film/Dune1984'', specifically for the decadently corrupt Harkonnens (naturally).
48** His concept artwork for ''Alien'' included a huge dome-like structure separate from the derelict spaceship where the facehugger eggs would have been housed, and a wall {{sculpture|s}} showing the alien life cycle from egg to chestburster and implying that the eggs came from a "mother"-like figure, hinting that the aliens were much more of an actual intelligent society than the insect analogues they became in ''Aliens''. The dome ended up appearing in ''Film/{{Prometheus}}''.
49** Giger designed a potential [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/23/ff/b8/23ffb89412a324e1952e331e71d58be8.jpg Batmobile]] for ''Film/BatmanForever'' that ultimately went unused.

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