Science and art. They are two completely separate realms, or so it seems...

But imagine a combination. Not possible, you say? Well I say, science and art together are perhaps even more wonderful than they are when apart. I recently came across a fascinating mix of the two, along with the compelling need to share the magic.

These images are x-rays by Arie van't Riet, a radiation physicist turned photographer, and his work is an innovative approach on creating art through x-ray images of flora, fauna, and the animal kingdom.

Approaching nature through an x-ray eye, van't Riet reveals the beauty of plants and animals on the inside rather than the outside. He actually prefers x-ray photographing objects of ordinary scenes, such as "a butterfly nearby a flower, a fish in the ocean, a mouse in the field, a heron along the riverside, a bird in a tree and so on." His art makes what seems to be ordinary scenes of daily life, absolutely extraordinary, with just a different perspective.

He first places the individual plants and animals out in relationship to one another to create a scene, and then photographs them in total. All of the creatures are dead as not to endanger living animals by exposing them to such x-rays.

The art takes an expertise in radiation, because a perfect combination of both low and high energy rays are needed to form a clear image of both together.

The x-rays also reveal similarities between all living creatures whether it be a human, a plant, an animal, or an insect. When the structures of other creatures is shown, such as the complex spine of a snake, we understand that humans and animals may not be so different after all.

With x-ray photography, van't Riet conveys that you don't have to be either a scientist or an artist. They are one alike, each sharing the deep wonder in exploring the world around them. Creativity is within everyone, even if they do not realize it. Van't Riet did not even consider himself an artist until a friend called his x-rays "art".

I discovered van't Riet through Pixelle.co, an art startup that I recently began managing social media. It serves as a digital platform that connects artwork curated for both high levels of talent and emotional content directly to consumers as well as a secondary market to buy or sell digital artwork. I highly recommend checking it out!