Nick Veasey: Inside Out

An essay about the history of X-ray to accompany the work of contemporary British X-ray photographer Nick Veasey.

From the back cover:
‘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 appearance by using X-rays to strip back the layers and show what it is like under the surface. Often the integral beauty adds intrigue to the familiar. We all make assumptions based on the external visual aspects of what surrounds us and we are attracted to people and forms that are aesthetically pleasing. I like to challenge this automatic way that we react to just physical appearance by highlighting the, often surprising, inner beauty.’ NICK VEASEY

Human activity and everyday objects are shown in an entirely new light in this highly unusual photo book. Photographer Nick Veasey uses X-ray technology to depict daily life and the result is amusing, overwhelming – and sometimes slightly disturbing. His unique photography method with huge X-ray machines combines documentary with art. While most artists claim to delve beneath the surface of their subjects, none has got to the core of our being in quite the way that Nick Veasey has managed.