Biomechanical art (also called Biomech) is a
surrealistic
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
style of art that combines elements of machines with organics. Rendered with distinct
realism, biomechanical art expresses an internal
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
world, most typically represented with human or animal anatomy where bones and joints are replaced with metal pistons and gears, but infused with muscles and tendons.
Biomechanical art was popularized in 1979 when Swiss artist
H.R. Giger
Hans Ruedi Giger ( ; ; 5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as " biomechanical". Giger later abandoned airbrush for pastels, mark ...
designed the alien creatures in the 1979 feature film ''
Alien''.
Biomechanical tattoo art
After the popularity of
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
's 1979 movie ''
Alien'',
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing proc ...
artists began tattooing images taken directly from the movie, and from artist
H.R. Giger
Hans Ruedi Giger ( ; ; 5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as " biomechanical". Giger later abandoned airbrush for pastels, mark ...
's
''Necronomicon'' series. As the biomechanical tattoo art style became increasingly popular, tattoo artists such as
Guy Aitchison
Guy Aitchison (born 1968) is an American tattoo artist and painter. He was featured on the tattoo reality television shows '' LA Ink'' and ''Tattoo Wars''.
Biography
Guy Aitchison was born in Michigan. He began painting album covers in 1985 an ...
and
Aaron Cain began designing their own original, biomechanical art, creating one of the most popular contemporary tattoo art movements.
See also
*
LED tattoo
Notes
References
*
External links
H.R. Giger Official websiteDavid H. Frantz Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biomechanical Art
Visual arts genres