In his home in Pasadena he said goodbye to us yesterday, at the age of 86. Industrial designer, conceptual artist and futurologist, he has helped create the look of numerous science fiction films such as Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens and Star Trek.
“Syd Mead left us in peace surrounded by a sweet fire, Christmas decorations and many works of her genius”, said his manager and partner Roger Servick twigs official website of the designer.
His final words were: 'I'm done here. They're coming to get me.'
Syd Mead, Elon Musk's tribute
Il founder of Tesla Motors paid his first tribute to the artist by writing on Twitter: “Rest in peace Syd Mead. Your art will endure." Mead's work on the hit 1982 film was a major inspiration for Musk's Tesla Cybertruck, an electric vehicle made to look like a cross between a pickup truck and a stealth fighter.
An extraordinary job
Syd Mead's role in shaping science fiction cinema was irreplaceable. He had an extraordinary ability to visualize the future, and in some way to "provoke" it.
He was one of the most influential conceptual artists of our time. His visions and illustrations of future technological worlds will remain as essays of his great imagination.
Mead, born in July 1933, served in the U.S. Army upon reaching his majority. He then attended art school in Los Angeles, where he graduated in June 1959.
His career began at Ford Motor Company, where he began designing vehicles before launching his own company, Syd Mead Inc, in 1970.
From his office Syd Mead literally "distributed" the future one work at a time.
He has designed interiors and exteriors of homes, international hotels, vehicles and public spaces. Then, at the end of the '70s, he moved on to cinema. In addition to the aforementioned Tron and Blade Runner, Mead has "built" Time Cop, Johnny Mnemonic, Mission Impossible 3, Tomorrowland and others.
Mead exercised his extraordinary talent until the end: his "retirement" dates back to just 3 months ago, in September 2019, after 60 years of tireless work.
