Alien Studio environments: Giger's work studio, Shepperton Studios

leading from

Alien's studio environments

a) At Shepperton Studios,  Giger finds himself using a room with a bare brick wall. 

 

Upon Giger's work bench we see his toothy chestburster creature taking form although it would be soon abandoned, and also we see him working on his facehugger which would also be abandoned. 

 

Against the wall behind the bench we see Giger's derelict painting and also his bone landscape for the planetoid. 

 

This place is also known as the boiler room workshop

 

 

 

b) The first photo we see Dan O'Bannon visiting Giger , and in the second photo we see someone else standing quite tall in the background, standing before a drawing featuring of a humanoid with spikes radiating out behind it. 

 

Giger had created the illustration on the actual door. 

 

After the end of the production, a Shepperton Studios staff member retrieved the door-panel from the boiler-room, he had intended to use the illustration as the logo for a new model company he was setting up. 

 

The vendor contacted Giger directly to ask permission to use his imagery and received a letter back dated 7 October 1981, which is included in this lot.

 

 In it Giger stated "I feel honoured [sic], that you want to use my Picture-on-a-door for your new business. I'm afraid that I can't give you the permission to use it, because I don't think it is good enough."

 

 

 

 

c) Dan O'Bannon wth HR Giger in workroom, view towards workbench and wall

 

 

 

 

 

d) View of room from work bench side of brick wall and drawing in the background reflected in the mirror

 

 

 

 

 

 

e) Giger working on the facehugger at from work bench side of brick wall and drawing in the background reflected in the mirror 

 

 

 

 

 

f.i) artwork in the background

 

f.ii) artwork in the background source: http://artsalesindex.artinfo.com

 

 

 

 

f.iii) artwork in the background source:  http://artsalesindex.artinfo.com 

 

 

f.iii) Letter from Giger:  source: http://artsalesindex.artinfo.com

 

1. Lot 133^W H.R Giger/Alien: A monochrome airbrush illustration by H.R Giger on a door-panel from his boiler-room workshop at Shepperton Studios, circa 1978, depicting his signature skeletal form motif, with exaggerated long tentacles, created during the filming of Alien, accompanied by a type-script letter from Giger, signed in an unknown hand, regarding the provenance, 24½ x 72 inches (62x183cm.) (https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19801/lot/133/)
2. While working at Shepperton Studios H.R Giger had a studio which was loaned to him for the duration of the production for Alien, as well as adopting an additional workshop in one of the Shepperton boiler-rooms. He would often work there on concepts for the film, gaining inspiration from the industrial surroundings he found himself in. When the Alien production ceased a Shepperton Studios staff member retrieved the door-panel from the boiler-room, he had intended to use the illustration as the logo for a new model company he was setting up. The vendor contacted Giger directly to ask permission to use his imagery and received a letter back dated 7 October 1981, which is included in this lot. In it Giger states I feel honoured [sic], that you want to use my Picture-on-a-door for your new business. I'm afraid that I can't give you the permission to use it, because I don't think it is good enough.
   The artwork bears strong similarities to the imagery in the Alien films and Gigers nightmarish visions. (https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19801/lot/133/)