The Swiss artist H.R Giger stated that the initial impetus behind his early paintings (I to IX) in his Passagen (Passages) series was a recurring nightmare in which he found himself in a large room without windows or doors, the only opening being a dark metal hole obstructed by a large safety pin. After getting stuck while passing through this opening he would see a tiny point of light at the end of a long chimney, however he was blocked by an invisible power and he would be unable to move backward or forward with his arms pressed against his body, unable to breath, his only thought being, ‘Oh my God, why am I here?’.
In addition to the dream inspiration the later paintings in the series would feature re-workings of a photograph he had taken of a garbage truck in Cologne, Germany in 1971. Giger was fascinated by its representation of a ‘mechanical-erotic act’, which sounds reminiscent of J.G Ballard’s Crash.
Giger always considered himself a Surrealist and the Passages series. created from the dredging of the unconscious and chance encounter richly deserves to belong in the Surrealist canon. Minimal, obsessive and claustrophobic, it is a truly unsettling experience by a master of the macabre.
cakeordeathsite 
First thought: birth trauma and associates… Rather an obsession it seemed to have been indeed. Wonderful compilation!
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Yes definitely birth trauma, obsessively and precisely recorded and worked through. The garbage truck chance encounter is a stroke of genius. Inspiration is all around.
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Yes, it really doesn’t need much. Just the right mood and eye…
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Yes the receptiveness and the willingness to see beyond the everyday. With, of course, the right eye.
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Never could have said it better…!
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You did say it better and with a lot less words already! I just like to endlessly expand.
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That’s what writers do, hehe.
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I am more of a hack but I will take the compliment. Thank you.
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Wow, almost painful to contemplate. Yet they’re fascinating. I’m curious about his technique of reworking the photograph. It’s a painting of the photo or a painting photo/collage? They are most unsettling indeed.
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I believe, though don’t quote me on this, that they are paintings of the photo. Painful, but with a pain we have all can understand, so that they draw you in.
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So very realistic (though obviously Surrealist) but you know what I mean. Yes, I believe we’ve all had some version of that dream. Not being able to escape. So yes, it triggers that latent feeling of dread.
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Yes we all have dreams like that. And there is the birth trauma which we all experience and bury deep in the unconscious.
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Right where it belongs. Until it inspires art and poetry. Of course
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Everything is grist to the mill for art and poetry, even the universal trauma of being born.
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Absolutely.
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These images appear to represent the birthing process, The sensation of being trapped and perhaps suffocation.
A brilliant series of surrealism Mr. Cake.
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Thank you Miss Heart. Giger stated as much, but the genius of the series is that it conveys the experience so much more immediacy than words. Definitely surreal.
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what incredible images. The sequence was quite unexpected
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Thank you Kestrel…I try to find hidden and buried treasure. Hopefully sometimes I strike gold, though it is always in the eye of the beholder.
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It’s unusual seeing some more colorful pieces. I used to have a book of his work that included this series but it didn’t come with a detailed explanation of what was behind it, so I appreciate all the info. I want to look away from these but I can’t!
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They are compelling, obsessive, minimalist and surrealist. I try to provide context more than analysis because context can make what I like even more interesting. Doesn’t work with art I don’t like. Glad you enjoyed!
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