FOREWORD
Nick Veasey is a man who sees the world in X-ray vision. Stripping away the layers of everyday life to reveal an often-surprising beauty, his cutting-edge fusion of art and science shows humanity in a very different light. Invisible to the human eye, high-energy electromagnetic radiation is a dangerous but ethereal medium. Nick’s lyrical imagery is created using machines used for medicine and industrial radiography. Nestled in a lead- lined chamber in the Kent countryside, he penetrates the surface to take viewers on a journey to a dimension otherwise hidden and unseen. In a process he likens to “putting together a jigsaw”, Nick dismantles objects and places them on a lead surface with film behind it. The X-rays pass through the subject, with dense areas absorbing the most radiation and appearing brighter onscreen. To combat the lethal levels of radiation, Nick wears a lead apron and controls the exposure time in a separate room. His skeleton figure is clad in a pressurised rubber suit and is also used in a teaching hospital. Unlike medical X-rays, which typically use around 100 kilovolts and last 0.2 seconds, Nick’s command an impressive 200 kilovolts and can take up to 20 minutes. Once this is complete, the film is processed and scanned before he digitally layers the images to create a startling 3D effect. A motorcycle comprises around 60 X-rays, while a car uses 500!
Nick says: “I like showing the insides of things and how they work. X-ray is a discovery; it’s like a forensic investigation into the subject, showing what it’s really made of. We live in a world obsessed with image… what we look like, what our clothes look like, houses, cars. I like to counter this obsession with superficial appearances by using X-rays to strip back the layers and show what it is like under the surface.” Transcending the classification of photography, Nick’s work has catapulted him to the forefront of the art world. Along with working with prestigious brands like Porsche, BMW, Levi’s and Nike, he has exhibited worldwide and featured in publications including National Geographic , Wired and the Independent . He also appeared on television for the BBC, NBC and Discovery Channel. Another layer to Nick’s haunting imagery is its exploration of surveillance society. He adds: “Take a flight or go into a high-profile courtroom and your belongings will be X-rayed. Security cameras track our every move and mobile phone receptions place us at any given time. To create art with the equipment and technology designed to help Big Brother remove freedom and individuality brings a smile to my face. “My art is something people can connect with. It’s real, it’s not hypothetical and complicated – it’s instant. You can see how things connect and tell a story. It’s like you’ve blinked and the world has tipped into X-ray.”
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