Nick Veasey. «THROUGH»

People tend to judge things superficially - both literally and figuratively speaking. "I want to challenge the reflectory perception of the external reality" - says British photographer Nick Veasey. His works do always stand out. He seems to be trying to penetrate into the essence of things. X-ray is generally associated with medicine, safety systems and scientific researches. To Veasey X-Ray serves as a tool for creating artistic images. X--rays show the inward beauty through opening a different hidden reality. The technique forces people to take another look at the world around them. Ordinary things and complex mechanisms can now be seen from the inside and there is no cognitive goal. "Transparent" images of everyday objects, clothes, plants, animals are fascinating. Mostly monochrome these images discover the secret, unveil the hidden and the invisible.

Nick Veasey was born in London in 1962.Now the photographer lives near Maidstone. Nick worked as a quite traditional photographer, shooting for advertizing until the X-ray has become his hallmark, individual method of creative vision. Well-known customers, prestigious awards, exhibitions, art album «Х-гау: See through the world around you».

"I have been working with camera for many years, but I never considered myself an ordinary photographer and have been always interested in abstract images. I liked to experiment with film and I was wondering how not to only copy the light reflected from the object but also to penetrate inside the object itself. At that point I was attracted by the potential of x-rays. I still make pictures with a traditional digital SLR, however, they serves as an addition to the X-ray ones. Sometimes I mix these two techniques to show both the surface of the object and its inner essence."

The technology of X-Ray images is quite complicated and even dangerous, that’s why it is necessary to use a lead apron and a Geiger counter. Veasey is working in his own studio in Kent. There is a specially equipped concrete bunker (it guarantees protection from radiation) and a photo lab. Nick uses three types of radiators: the most powerful - to penetrate into the very compact materials like metal, the most sensitive - for the subtle" objects like plants, and the third one - for all other objects. All images are done in black &white. Colors which can be found in some images are created with the help of computer to achieve even a greater techno effect similar to the neon glow.

Photographer describes matter-of-factly the process of creating his works: "I divide large objects into pieces, shoot them with X-rays and then again draw pieces together using Photoshop". The manipulation done with one image may take several weeks or even months. For example, it took Nick three months to create his famous X-Ray photo of Boeing 777. The largest size possible for X-Ray is about 35х40 cm. One can easily imagine how many shots Nick has had to do to photograph one of biggest vehicles. The life-size finished image is now used as a decoration in one of Boston airport terminals of

New York city hospital commissioned Nick Veasey to take picture of an ordinary bus. The photographer used a device usually applied by U.S. Border Guard Service in order to examine vehicles. Images of passengers are actually made of one and the same skeleton. Its X-ray photo was successively installed in different parts of the bus being fixed with the help of rubber as the metal mount would be visible in x-rays.

"I have created thousands of images, yet my favorite picture is still the one MINI. This is a tribute to the British design. In the future I hope to take a picture of Trabant. I'm generally passionate about the machines which have become the symbols".

Veasey believes Eadweard Muybridge to be the most interesting figure among photographers is. In the 19th century Muybridge tried to "draw" movements with the help of photography. He was photographing animals and people. They were running, jumping or just making simple everyday actions. Initially conceived as a scientific research in biomechanics this experiment later went beyond the documentary and acquired a certain artistic value. "I am inspired by this, "says the photographer- as I also want my work to go beyond the borders of the documentary". Nick loves Laszlo Moholy-Nagy for his modernistic experiment with photography and amazing photogram. "Modern digital technologies make it possible to manage the creative process at the highest level, which saves time and money and minimizes errors. As a consequence many could show great results in their work. The only thing that could intervene is absence of creativity", - considers the photographer.

Nick’s Moscow exhibition features works from different series: "People and machines", "Objects", "Toys", "Animals". Male, female, baby, the world of things - this is what a human life is made of, even in X-ray.

Veasey took pictures of more than 4000 objects. Most famous international brands, may it be manufacturers of perfume, clothes, medical products or airlines, address Nick to get X-Ray images for their advertising campaigns. Cooperation with Nespresso in 2011 is one of the latest projects done by Veasey. is A series of X-Ray photos displays the interior mechanisms of a ultra compact coffee machine called Pixie The photographer is quite ambitious as far as his future projects are concerned. Nick intends to further use the X-ray in order to "comment on the global problems existing in the society". He talks about the 3D-technique which is now actively penetrating the world of photography, video, TV and cinematograph. Nick is interested in the impact this trend would have in future. Nick Veasey’s works are much deeper and more interesting than just "inner reality." Unveiling the structure of an object Veasey gets to the essence of its nature and provokes the audience to ponder over the mysteries of existence.


Olga Averyanova, the curator of the exhibition
Director of Photo department of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art