Giger on Dali

leading from

H R Giger's Art
and 
Salvador Dali 

a) When Giger was fourteen, he first discovered Dali's work through his brother in law.

In the form of a small postcard he first saw Dali's painting Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War)

He was captivated by the use of shadow and the incredible figures depicted in his paintings.

For some reason, he felt as if he was already familiar with his work and he thought that he had seen the same world in a still from Jean Cocteau's film "Beauty And the Beast" in Life magazine.  

Giger as an artist admitted that he found it impossible to not be influenced by Dali's work. 

b) Giger would come to know Dali when his friend Robert Venosa invited him along to meet him in 1975 (See: Dune and the gathering) and continue with a friendship afterwards.

Even in later years in life, Giger could find himself himself in dreams connecting with the artist, getting Dali to write an introduction of sorts to his book Giger's Necronomicon

c) See Elongated skull apparitions by way of Dali

d) See Dali's Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War)

e) See: Salvador Dali 

Salvador Dali's Soft Construction with boiled beans ( Premonition of Civil War), 1936

Quote sources

1. H R Giger: Finally I saw a painting by Dali, just on a small postcard; I was very impressed. I saw the same world I had seen before in the stills from Cocteau's film (HR Giger by Debbie Harry and Christ Stein)
2. Tom Gabriel Warrior: There exist a number of parallels between you and Salvador Dali. Is it correct that Salvador Dali had a special significance in your life?
   
   H R Giger: Yes, very much so. he was someone I deeply admired. When I was fourteen, I first saw his painting Premonition of Civil War on a postcard. I was captivated by the use of shadow and by the incredible figures depicted in his paintings. For some reasons, it felt as if I was already familiar with his work? (Zero Tolerance  #26, p25 Nov/Dec 2008)
3. Hans Ulrich Obrist:  What were your influences, your inspirations?
   HR Giger:  Dalí, of course! I discovered his works when I was about fourteen through my brother-in-law, and I was immediately riveted.
   Hans Ulrich Obrist:  What was it about him that fascinated you?
   HR Giger  Everything. (Laughs) Just yesterday I dreamed for about four hours. I was in old apartments Dalí once lived in. I was like a cat, stealing into the house through the cat flap, crawling through the tunnel on my belly! That was funny.(http://kaleidoscope.media/hr-giger/)