“HR GIGER ARh+”, by H.R. Giger, edited by Gaby Falk

 

96 pages, Taschen, ISBN-13: 978-3822813188

I have a bunch of these “Taschen” books, an art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany that he and his eldest daughter, Marlene, still operate. HR GIGER ARh+ is all about Hans Ruedi “H.R.” Giger, the late Swiss artist known for his biomechanical drawings and, of course, for designing the xenomorph for the never-ending Alien franchise of films (seriously, guys; just end them already). It is, in effect, a career-spanning reflection on the life and art of Giger, written by the man himself no less and, consequently, drives his original and outlandish images far beyond what the average studio could accept. As one would expect, Giger uses his wealth of technical mastery to bring to life all sorts of concepts in horrible detail (that’s a compliment, by-the-way). Worthwhile for Giger fans both dedicated and casual due to the wide variety of artwork, sculpture, photography and history, this is an incredible collection (of course, if the imagery is too much for you, I quite understand. Wimp.) This book also provides autobiographical notes, but I take those about as seriously as I take Salvador Dali’s. It’s the pictures that matter.