R.I.P. H.R. Giger

After hearing about HR Giger’s death, I felt compelled to write something about him. I’m a lifelong fan of macabre and dark art, and his life’s work was a great source of inspiration to me. He passed away on May 12 caused by injuries from a fall.

I consider him one of my biggest source of inspiration when it comes to art. His work influenced many great artists such as Paul Booth, Guy Aitchison, Chet Zar, and many others. He paved the way for a new generation of dark art and his creations made a huge impact in the art of tattooing. The popular biomech tattoo design is heavily inspired by his art and designs.

The first time I saw his art was from the book Necronomicon I when I was still in my late teens, and I was totally amazed by it. It was completely different from the macabre art that I’ve known and seen before. I could still remember the feeling of awe and fascination that I felt when I first saw that book.

Even if you haven’t heard of him, seeing his work is instantly recognisable. The immense detail and surreal feel of his art are terrifyingly beautiful and conjure raw emotion.

One way his work influenced me is that he made me realise that it is perfectly okay to follow your own vision even if it’s totally different. There’s no need to conform to what’s popular or what others are doing. Develop your own style and continue to hone it.

I’m such a big fan of his work and I’ll forever be grateful for the inspiration. He will definitely inspire many generations to come.

To describe how truly great Giger’s art is, I’ll use the words of one of my favorite horror fiction writers, H.P. Lovecraft:

“That’s because only a real artist knows the actual anatomy of the terrible or the physiology of fear – the exact sort of lines and proportions that connect up with latent instincts or hereditary memories of fright, and the proper colour contrasts and lighting effects to stir the dormant sense of strangeness.” ― H.P. Lovecraft, Pickman’s Model