Gallery Into the Unknown

    • Sonny model designed by Patrick Tatopoulos, for ‘I, Robot’  directed by Alex Proyas (2004)

      Patrick Tatopoulos on creatures: A great creature is designed to serve the story. The creature should belong to the world that the movie is set in. I like creatures that look elegant, beautiful and scary at the same time such as Alien and Predator. They are gorgeous pieces that are not just ugly, bloody things. In a way there is something cool about them.

       

    • H.R. Giger: Neocronom for ‘Alien III’ directed by David Fincher (1992) Resin and metal

      Patrick Tatopoulos on his influences: The creatures designed by H.R Giger. Another person who influenced my career is Frank Frazetta. He is a great fantasy and science fiction artist who painted men and women with muscular bodies. His work is very erotic as well. Also, I am influenced by the artists Jeroen Bosch, Pieter Bruegel and I am obsessed with German expressionism films such as ‘Nosferatu’ by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau.

    • Original Stormtrooper helmet used in Star Wars and Star Wars; The Empire Strikes Back (1977-80) Painted high-density polyethylene, rubber, metal, celluloid, foam, elastic.

      Patrick Tatopoulos on directors: Some directors provide hardly any input on the design of the creature as they use it as a device in the story. Other directors are very much involved. They think very visual. Most of the time directors give me a couple of ideas that matter to them about the creature and give me the freedom to design the creature that fits with the story.

    • Double Negative, Installation based on the film ‘Ex Machina’ directed by Alex Garland (2015)

      Patrick Tatopoulos on becoming a creature designer: When I was five or six years old I was always drawing monsters. When I came to Hollywood it was a logical step to become a creature designer. After creating many creatures and monsters I wanted to design the world that the creatures live in and I did the production design for some movies. Then I wanted to become a director because I wanted to tell the story. For me it was a step-by-step discovery.

    • Spock (Leonard Nimoy) space suit from Star Trek: The Motion Pictures directed by Robert Wise (1979)

      Patrick Tatopoulos on creatures becoming bigger than you are: Designing creatures is very rewarding. I remember the first sketches of Sonny for the film ‘I, Robot’ and now it’s here [at the exhibition]. Creatures are bigger than you are. I sit in the dark behind my desk and design the creature that will become huge and iconic. The object is bigger than you will ever be and I love that.

    • Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous Device from ‘Inception’ directed by Christopher Nolan (2010)

    • Projection helmet from ‘A Scanner Darkly’ directed by Richard Linklater (2006)

    • Kane (John Hurt) space suit from ‘Alien’ directed by Ridley Scott (1979)

    • TARS robot designed by Double Negative from ‘Interstellar’ directed by Christopher Nolan (2014) Steel, plastic, rubber

      Into the Unknown: A Journey through Science Fiction, Barbican Centre until 1 September 2017