The natural world is full of surprises and hidden beauty. It’s so easy to simply walk right by countless amazing things every day without noticing just how many wonders are all around us. That’s part of the inspiration behind Hugh Turvey‘s X-ray art. He looks inside the things most of us ignore, taking an inside view of the natural world and inspiring a truly delightful sense of wonder.
Hugh Turvey is fascinated by the idea of X-ray specs: those novelty glasses often advertised in the back of comic books. The idea that one can put on an accessory and suddenly see a deeper truth appeals to Turvey and inspires his art. He likens X-ray art to the movie “The Matrix;” specifically, when Neo is suddenly able to perceive his real environment.
Although Turvey isn’t the first artist to use X-rays as art, he is one of the most well-known and respected. His art depicts familiar items in wholly unfamiliar ways. Turvey’s X-ray photos reveal hidden characteristics of ordinary things; sometimes amazing qualities can be found in the most unassuming objects.
Originally trained as a designer and art director, Turvey didn’t discover his passion for photography until he was grown. He retrained in his new craft with master photographer Gered Mankowitz and began experimenting with the X-ray art that would later become his hallmark.
These colored X-ray pictures help us get a closer look at the complex beauty of the natural world. Flowers which look so uncomplicated on the surface reveal their hidden inner structures; plants that may look plain and boring with the naked eye take on an exotic and truly wonderful quality when seen in this new way.



