Friday Feature: The Inner Beauty of the Classic Car

Plane, July 2001, Nick Veasey. Courtesy nickveasey.com

English photographer Nick Veasey sees the inner beauty in everyday objects. A lot of people don't pause to think about what is on the inside of that motorcycle or car they drive. But Veasey not only thinks about what is on the inside - he has found a way to capture the beauty he sees and share it with the world. 

Using five x-ray machines, Veasey has photographed scooters, motorcycles, cars, buses - even a Boeing 777. But he doesn't just x-ray vehicles. His artwork includes robots, firearms, musical instruments, and hats. Veasey told Wired Magazine, "Sometimes I think about [the process] as a metaphor for life...You are often attracted to people by their physical appearance, but you fall in love with them because of who they are. It's what's on the inside that counts. Same thing here."  

Vespa, October 2009, Nick Veasey. Courtesy nickveasey.com

Mini Driver, July 2012, Nick Veasey. Courtesy nickveasey.com

One project close to Veasey's heart is his classic car series. A classic car fan, he told Wired that he loves older cars because they are simpler, more elegant, and don't have airbags or electronics that get in the way of the shot. "All these cars are beautiful things in the flesh, but I also want to celebrate the engineering that went into making them," Veasey said. He's x-rayed a Ford Model T, the Mercedes Benz 300SL "Gullwing" and the Mini. And in order to not have to disassemble the cars, he found a machine in Germany large enough to x-ray the vehicles in one piece. 

So how did he manage to x-ray a plane? Veasey had to photograph the Boing 777 in pieces and do some magic with Photoshop to get that incredible image. 

Matchless Motorbike, August 2013, Nick Veasey. Courtesy nickveasey.com

Working with x-rays is dangerous, Veasey points out on his website. He has a very careful process to protect himself from the radiation. And the people that appear to be in his photos are actually skeletons in rubber suits or cadavers donated to science.

Veasey says his work is "a statement against society's obsession with superficiality." His appreciation of what's on the inside clearly displays the simple beauty in life that can easily be overlooked. 

Check out video of Veasey at work as he x-rays the Mini.