HR Giger's Homage to Böcklin

leading from 

J G Ballard on Alien and H R Giger,
and

H R Giger's Art
and
Ernst Fuchs 
and
Arnold Böcklin

Island of the Dead (fifth version) by Arnold Böcklin (1886)

HR Giger's "Homage to Böcklin" after Böcklin's Island of the Dead (1977)

a) HR Giger inspired because Ernst Fuchs "Hommage a Böcklin?

Giger had been very inspired by the work of the painter Ernst Fuchs who was the one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, and Giger would become great friends with him. In 1972, 
Ernst Fuchs book "Hommage a Böcklin" was released,  a  publication of the exhibition of the Fox series "On the Isle of the Dead" at Galerie Ariadne, the gallery and the gallery Krugier Sydow and on the cover it featured a painting of a boat traveling along the water and in the foreground is a reclining mermaid with nearby huddled humans that seems to suggest the general outline of the right all in Giger's "Hommage à Böcklin" and so perhaps if Giger had been inspired by this book, and what it may might contained. Ernst Fuchs painted his own Isle of the Dead back in 1971, and placed the idea of such an isle of the dead in numerous drawings, placing characters such as goddess Venus there

"Hommage á Böcklin" by Ernst Fuchs

compare the form of the figures in the foreground of the
exhibition booklet to general shape of the wall in Giger's painting

Ernst Fuchs' Isle of the dead (1971)

"Venus on the Island of Death", 1976 (http://www.mutualart.com)

Stehender weiblicher Akt mit Maske auf der Insel des Todes.

http://www.mutualart.com

'The Philosopher on the Isle of the Dead' by Viennese Fantastic Realist,
Ernst Fuchs. Oil on Panel 1978-1983 
(Thanks to Morpheus International at Facebook for this information about this painting 
since it linked me with the rest of the Isle of the Dead paintings by Fuchs)

b) JG Ballard asked about HR Giger
And so asked about HR Giger's artwork, JG Ballard acknowledged that he found Giger's artwork impressive but didn't have any knowledge about his work beyond the surface. Ballard was asked about Giger's Homage to Bocklin's "Isle of the Dead" but Ballard not having seen Giger's work could not imagine how the original could be improved upon. The other side to this discussion might be that Bocklin had painted Isle of the Dead five times and Giger payed homage to the fifth version twice and maybe Giger would not wish to have claimed that his version improved on the original anyway.

quote source

1. Paul Laville: What do you think of the art of H. R. Giger? Have you seen his version of Arnold Bocklin's 'Isle of the Dead'?     
   
   
   JG Ballard: Giger's work is very impressive, but I haven't seen his 'Isle of the Dead'. Hard to improve upon.(Interview by letter, July 1995)