The
Art of X-Rays
This exhibition focuses on x-ray photography. The images in this exhibition depict the
unseen in everyday items or creatures.
This field of photography started with the invention of the x-ray by Wilhelm
Rontgen in the mid 1800’s. Josef Eder
was the primary pioneer in this field of using x-rays as an art form. The field continued to develop as the x-ray
advanced and could produce more detailed photos. The newer x-rays not only have a more
detailed quality, but also produce a different style of x-rays, providing more
of a light blue, transparent look to the images. Also, the main interest in older photos was
to show anatomical intricacy of common creatures. The newer works, on the other hand, only
focus a little on anatomical structure, but mainly are intended to display the
internal assembly of familiar objects. The
main purpose of both modern and older x-ray photographs is to display the
unseen aspects of everyday things. They
are intended to display that which is typically is unnoticed or hidden. This presentation includes examples of older
x-rays including some of Eder’s works and examples of more modern
photography.
The first image in this display is Hugh Turvey’s “Male
and Female Thornback Rays” depicting two rays.
This image was produced in 2012 and is in Hugh Turvey’s collection. This image is a modern example of an x-ray
photo depicting a creature’s anatomical structure. In this image, Turvey is intending to display
the internal structure of the rays using the x-ray to give the image a
transparent look.
Josef Eder, Versuche über Photographie mittelst der Röntgen'schen Strahlen, 1896
X-Ray Photogravure, Met Museum of Art, ascension number 2011.66.1–.15
Following this image in
the exhibit is another work of Eder’s titled. “Versuche über Photographie mittelst
der Röntgen'schen Strahlen." It was produced in
1896 and is currently in the Met Museum of Art.
It is .
This image fits into the exhibit as it displays fish anatomy. It is displaying a familiar object in a
different way than it is typically viewed.
Hugh Turvey, Neodymium-Europium-Turbium, 2012
So far, all of the
images have been of creatures. This is
the first image of an inanimate object.
Hugh Turvey’s “Neodymium-Europium-Terbium” was produced in 2012 and is located in his
own collection. This image depicts an inanimate object, but still fits into the
theme of displaying the unseen. It
displays what lays unnoticed under the surface of the device.
Hugh Turvey, GoCycle YDH, 2012
Another
depiction of an object is Hugh Turvey’s “GoCycle YDH,” which is a display of
the internal assembly of several bicycles.
This image was produced in 2012 and is currently in Hugh Turvey’s
collection. Similarly to the previous
image, it fits into the theme of displaying hidden aspects of everyday
items. In this case it is showing the
inner workings of bicycles. Usually we
do not realize that these common items have complex internal structures which
allow them to work.
Hugh Turvey, Woman Drinking Water, 2012
Next
is Hugh Turvey’s image, “Woman Drinking Water.”
This image was made in 2012 and is in the same collection as his
others. This image shows a newer form of
anatomical structure. This time, there
is implied motion. The action of
drinking water is being portrayed in a new way.
This is just a deeper example of a common circumstance and showing what
lies beneath the surface.
Hugh Turvey, Combat Medic Portrait, 2012
The
final image is another of Hugh Turvey’s.
This goes back to the inanimate objects, but this time there are many of
them. The piece is titled “Combat Medic
Portrait” and depicts several pieces of medical equipment that might be brought
in a battlefield situation. Although
they are not as common, the purpose of the image is to show what lies beneath
the outer surface of the items. Rather
than viewing the external details, artists like Eder and Turvey want to show
their viewers the details below the external features which everyone can
observe.
=Marc Renkema=
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