Identifying our time’s obsession with superficial appearances and overly controlled societies, British artist Nick Veasey decided to strip back the layers and show what is usually hidden below the surface.
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Nick Veasey is a British artist that creates uniquely innovative and deeply conceptual works. Based on the obsession of our times with self-constructed personas and images, he uses X-Rays to portray his subjects. His medium is both interdisciplinary - seamlessly combining engineering, science and photography - and yet invisible to the naked human eye. He is set to challenge the automatic way in which we make assumptions based on the external visual aspect of what surrounds us, defying society’s consumption of images and conformity with control.
Asides from his own creations, he has collaborated with various brands and companies, among which we can find Porsche, BMW, Levi’s and Nike. Inspired by the floral radiographs of the photographer and dental scientist Albert G. Richards, he has X-rayed everything from Christmas trees and flowers to the fashion designs of Alexander McQueen, and most famously a life-size rendition of a Boeing 777 jet airliner using over 1,000 separate X-Rays.
During his process, he creates an individual x-ray of each single part of whatever subject he chooses, and then scans each panel with a drum scanner, finally re-assembling every piece to create the final image. This sheds light on the complex layers of design that every day objects have, as well as evidencing the dedication and time that goes into each of his X-Ray artworks.
By touching on the increasing control that is present in capitalist societies - from security surveillance cameras everywhere to geographical tracking devices on our phones - he highlights the importance of information in the fight against these undisclosed dominance. Driven by the strong belief that the equipment and technologies he uses to create beauty are the ones designed ‘to help big brother delve deeper’ in the removal of our individual freedom, he assures a solid battleground in which art takes center stage in the fight against uncomfortable social realities.
Nick has exhibited worldwide, has already published three books and was featured in publications including National Geographic, Wired and the Independent, as well as appearing on television for BBC, NBC and Discovery Channel. His intriguing imagery and powerful concept has also won him over 50 awards.
In his own words: ‘We all know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, that beauty is more than skin deep. By revealing the inside, the quintessential element of my art speculates upon what the manufactured and natural world really consists of.’
Whistler Contemporary Gallery promotes distinctive Canadian and International contemporary emerging, mid-career and established artists. The gallery offers an exceptional selection of original paintings, multi-media work, glass and sculpture. The gallery has been in the art business since 1992 and works with first time and experienced buyers to build their collections. They are dedicated to serving their clients as well as their artists and are passionate about art and are committed to bringing quality pieces to his collectors.
Cover image: Nick Veasey, 1971 California Bug, 2022. Courtesy of Whistler Contemporary Gallery.
Written by: Zara Colombo
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