“Work Nr. 217 ELP II (Brain Salad Surgery)” is an artwork by renowned artist H.R. Giger, created in the year 1973. This piece belongs to the Fantastic Realism art movement and fits within the genre of symbolic painting.
The artwork features a surreal, mechanical visage integrated with an organic humanoid form, characterized by a prominent skull and lips. The central focus is a circular element framing the lips, enhanced by intricate and metallic structural elements surrounding the organic aspects, creating a fusion of the technological and biological. The monochromatic color palette, largely consisting of greys and metallic tones, underscores the eerie and otherworldly atmosphere, typical of Giger’s dystopian and biomechanical style. Below the circle, an emblem resembling the initials ELP can be observed, paying homage to the title of the piece. The entire composition exemplifies Giger’s mastery in blending the uncanny and the surreal into a cohesive and haunting visual narrative.
