Los Angeles (AFP)
Syd Mead, the artist behind the futuristic visual universe of "Blade Runner", known for shaping the world of science fiction with his designs, died at the age of 86, his Facebook page announced on Tuesday.
Syd Mead, who was also at work in the 1970s and 1980s in the movies "Aliens le retour", "Tron" and "Star Trek: the movie", died Monday of lymphoma cancer, his companion Roger Servick told several media.
A publication on his Facebook profile confirmed his disappearance, with the words "Syd Mead 1933-2019".
The designer had started his career in the automotive and electronics industry, working for Ford, Chrysler, Sony and Philips, before turning to the cinema.
In the cult film "Blade Runner" (1982) by Ridley Scott, Syd Mead created, with her illustrations, a unique, dark and Gothic atmosphere, which has been remembered and acclaimed worldwide. We follow in a dystopian Los Angeles in 2019, a Harrison Ford who camps a former police officer recruited to shoot a group of "replicants", the name given to dissident androids.
Syd Mead retired in September.
The news of his death has been commented on by leading figures from the automotive world and the 7th art.
"Rest in peace Syd Mead. Your art will endure," tweeted Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Last month Nelson Coates, president of the Art Directors Guild, called Mead "one of the most influential concept artists and industrial designers of our time".
In recent years, Syd Mead's name has appeared in the credits of "Mission Impossible III", "Elysium" and the highly acclaimed sequel "Blade Runner 2049" released in 2017.
© 2019 AFP