Legendary visual artist and futurist Syd Mead, who helped shape the look of influential sci-fi films including Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, died Monday at the age of 86 of complications from lymphoma in Pasadena, Calif.
Mead was set to receive the Art Directors Guild’s William Cameron Menzies Award during the Guild’s 24th Annual awards in February.
Mead was known for fusing technology with creativity, bringing to life some of the biggest films in science fiction. In 1982, he served as a visual futurist on Blade Runner, before collaborating as a conceptional artist with director Steven Lisberger on the 1982 Tron. More recently, Mead’s created designs for Mission: Impossible III, Elysium and Tomorrowland and consulted on Blade Runner 2049.
Fans flooded Twitter with tributes to the beloved concept artist.
"A legend has left us today. His vision changed our culture, our collective perception of what is possible, and inspired so many of us today," one user said.
While another tweeted, "One of the greatest visionaries we've ever been blessed with. Whole parts of the present are the manifestations of things he was the first to see, untold vastness that he has gifted us remains there for the realisation. Entire worlds."
And another wrote, "Syd Mead has caught the last starship out. A giant artist and designer about whom much will be said. I met him once for 30 seconds at Dragon Con many years ago, and he influenced my stuff. I'm good with that. Thanks for all the brilliant work, Syd. A master. Godspeed."