H R Giger an Artist "After my Own Heart."

At first glance when comparing my work to Giger's, there appears to be little similarity. Giger's most well known work is predominantly airbrushed, whereas my staple medium is currently in dip pen and ink. Though Giger did also work in inks on occasion.

I'd say the similarity between both our art work lies not in medium, but in overall intent, my work loses some of the more overt sexual content that Giger's had, Giger was interested in the opposite sex from a young age. Though I cannot deny that I have sexual inclinations, I am much shyer about expressing sexual themes through my artwork, preferring to make mine spooky and deathlike.

Abyss by Helen Hardman 2018

Giger was born in Chur, Switzerland in the year 1940, and he seems an man after my own heart. He was fascinated by darkness and dark places, under a table in a windowless room situated in his house, was a favoured spot. at least while he was young. Since being able to choose his own clothes wore only black. He had an interest in making homemade weapons, and like me had a fixation with death.

Detail of Giger painting: no 251 li II 1974.

Giger's Hell-like paintings are based upon his fixations and his fears, his shaft drawings were based on a particular nightmare he had about the stairs at his parents house.

Snakes and worms were also something he feared, but like me he seemed to revel in being afraid, and in making others afraid, or at least intrigued. His fear of snakes and worms led him to collect the frayed rubber ends from trouser braces, his fascination being they looked like worms. This is remarkably similar to my response to fear, in that I tend to embrace my fears. Much of my own work contains, imagery and symbology based on my fears and nightmares.

Giger's drawing: no 63 shaft no 7 1966.

Though Giger's paintings have dark themes, he did not take pleasure in cruelty, and was shocked when a friend showed him graphic images of torture.

Unlike me Giger remembers his childhood fondly, his memories are of playing with his peers and sneaking into the circus. Whereas my days are remembered for the adversity I faced. Another difference between me and Giger would be the way our parent's viewed our artwork. Giger's father disapproved of Giger's chosen career, stating that art is not profitable, his father wanted him to become a pharmacist. Whereas my mum always encouraged my artistic pursuits, and was keen to see me do what I enjoyed.

Giger's love of drawing was cemented when he studied architecture at Grison's, though he had previously learned drawing, model making, and set building from a favourite teacher of his by the name of Weiser.

The work of Giger first started to rise to prominence through his poster designs, but he really found fame with his involvement on Ridley Scott's film Alien, for which he made the designs of the sets and the creature itself. This is his most well regarded body of work other than his Necronomicon series.

Shadow Play by Helen Hardman 2020.

I regard H R Giger's work with awe, his images transport the viewer into a different world, yet the still retain their value as fine art without slipping into the less serious form of fantasy art. Despite many of his themes seeming similar to the latter, there is meaning within them, quite similar to the themes within my own work, that of nightmares and fear of the unknown.

I try not to directly copy the style of Giger because I don't want my art to become a cheap imitation, but there are definite influences based on what I've seen of his work. Through hard application of my craft, maybe one day I can hope to be as mesmerising, through my art as Giger is to me.