My favorite surrealist painter H.R. Giger turns 70 years old today! His Alien stuff was OK, but I always preferred his magickal dark fantasy and abstract post-apocalyptic erotica.
Here is a painting of his early muse Li Tobler, who tragically blew her brains out in 1975 (after dating Giger—who woulda thunk it?)
At Giger’s museum you can buy snowboards and skateboards with his artwork:
MUSEUM HR GIGER
Château St. Germain
1663 Gruyères
Tel.: +41 26 9212200
Fax: +41 26 9212211
E-Mail: info@hrgigermuseum.com
http://www.hrgiger.com/boards.htm
Here is Giger’s Baphomet after the original Elphias Levi engraving.
The Blondie video below is quite the oddity, having been shot in Giger’s studio and staring Debbie Harry herself. The music is so completely opposite of what one thinks of when looking at Giger that it makes the video that much more surreal. (She reminds me of early Kate Bush in this.)
"Did Giger actually paint your face?"
"Yes," Debbie Harry says. "For some things he painted on photographs, but for the video he used different stencils and an airbrush and he painted my face. I wore a painted body suit. So, yes, I was airbrushed by Giger!"
Giger in 2008:
We love you Hansruedi! We wish you 70 more!
xoxo,
IZabael
