Alien Resurrection: Darius Khondji inspired by Francis Bacon

Leading from

Francis Bacon
and 
Alien Resurrection: Darius Khondji

Francis Bacon's 2nd version of Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1988.

Francis Bacon 

a) Darius first inspiration in terms of lighting came from the work of Francis Bacon.

He loved his paintings because sometimes you didn't know where the light is coming from.

There was also something very violent and immediate in Bacon's art that as it were would hit him in the face.

b) The paintings' very soft overhead lighting and colours together with something in their movement inspired him.

The characters and the walls themselves seem to radiate light.

Sometimes it was not a direct inspiration in a painter's lighting that inspired him, and instead he would be inspired by the painter's imagery.

It interested him to think why the work of Bacon appealed to him, because it didn't have a directly low key, contrasting lighting

Francis Bacon's  Chipmanzee as shown in the 

New Cinematographer section about Darius

Quote source

1. Darius Khondji: Another of my references in preproduction were the paintings of Francis Bacon. (New Cinematographers)
2. Darius Khondji:  There was something very violent and immediate in Bacon's art that hit you in the face. The paintings' very soft overhead lighting and colours together with something in their movement inspired me. Sometimes it is not a direct inspiration in a painter's lighting that inspires me, but l am haunted by the painter's imagery. lt's interesting why the work of Bacon appeals to me, because it doesn't have a directly low key, contrasty lighting. (New Cinematographers)
3. Darius Khondji: My first inspiration in terms of the lighting came from the work of Francis Bacon. I love this painting is because sometimes you don't know where the light is coming from; the characters and the walls themselves seem to radiate light. (Alien: The Archive, p250)
4. Darius Khondji: I really want to emphasize how happy I've been working with Nigel (Phelps). His sets are true genius but we worked together on the idea of lighting them. The idea was that the sets would be like lighting boxes or shells. The sets would seem to emanate light from themselves. My first inspiration in terms of the lighting, came from the work of Francis Bacon. I love his paintings because sometimes you don't know where the light is coming from, the characters and the walls themselves seem to radiate light. The relationship between the light and the characters and the sets was very interesting to me. ( The Making of Alien Resurrection. p18)