75 X-Ray Images Of Nature Taken By Former Medical Physicist Arie Van ‘T Riet

Nature is fascinating and being able to study it from different perspectives is an opportunity not many people get. Luckily for us, we get to see the enchanting results of those explorations that are no less valuable than the journeys themselves. 

In this article, we want to showcase the enchanting photographs taken by Dutch physicist Arie van ‘t Riet. He is a man whose work had taken him on a journey to becoming an artist. Arie specialized in low-energy X-rays in hospitals when he hit upon an interesting form of art. The artist went on to x-ray flowers, insects, lizards, turtles, cats and other animals, creating beautiful works of art he calls “bioramas”. 

Arie wanted to point out that his floral-animal x-ray images are not made in the hospital, but in his studio where he has his own x-ray equipment with a license. As a medical physicist, the artist worked in the hospital from 1978 – 2012 in the departments of radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. The x-rayed animals are dead. “In my opinion, it’s not justified to expose living animals to the risk of x-rays for my purpose. I find traffic victims along the roadside. A friend breeds reptiles. In case one dies, I can have it. I buy fish on the market and insects – in specialized shops.”

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Image credits: arievantriet

Arie’s x-ray images are not composed of different layers. “It is not a composition of different x-rays. No stacked images. Not assembled. The complete setup of the natural scene (biorama) with animals and flowers is built and x-rayed in one session as a whole. I apply an analog technique and use Silvergelatine x-ray negatives. Kodak X-Omat V 33cm x 41cm.”