American futurist concept artist Sydney Mead, who created designs for science fiction films like Blade Runner, Alien and Tron, passed away on 30 December (Monday) at the age of 86.
Mead died at his home in Pasadena, California after battling for three years with lymphoma, as told by his spouse, Roger Servick, to The Hollywood Reporter.
He had started his career in 1959 as a designer for Ford Motor Company’s Advanced Styling Studio. Later on, Mead worked as a freelance illustrator for companies like Atlas Cement and U.S. Steel.
He then formed his company, Syd Mead Inc. and worked from the 1970s to the 80s, designing for Intercontinental Hotels and Donghia Inc.
Mead then ventured into Hollywood and started doing conceptual art works for the 1979 Robert Wise’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi flick Blade Runner. His work in these films gave him the moniker “visual futurist.”
He was also involved with films like 1982 Steven Lisberger’s Tron, Scott’s 1979 Alien and its sequel, James Cameron’s Aliens, Peter Hyam’s 1994 Time Cop and J.J. Abram’s Mission Impossible 3.
In 2015, Mead was honored with the Visual Effects Society Award. The Art Directors Guild’s William Cameron Menzies Award was set to be given to him on 1 February in a ceremony.