Creativity of the mind permeates in the most unexpected
quarters in the world. Who would imagine that X-rays and
radiology would be associated with visual arts? However, with the
inclusion of technology into all forms of creative arts, radiology
has also stamped its own mark. In fact, an interdisciplinary group
from Belgrade, Serbia after having studied thousands of works of
art has found that “radiologic artworks have become an important
field of modern art." During their research, they identified 271
radiologic works produced by 59 ‘artists’. A study published in the
July edition of the American Journal of Roentgenology (Vol.
199:1, pp. W24-W26) showed that the techniques of radiology
have been successfully employed in producing works of art based
on a range of entities (from images of body parts to the use of
images in photographs, collages, sculpture and digital works).
According to Dr. Slobodan Marinković, a professor of
neuroanatomy at the University School of Medicine, "Radiology is
also a specific and original method of artistic expression."
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895 and with the
iconic radiograph of his wife's hand, radiology established itself as
one of the most important diagnostic tools. According to Dr.
Marinković and his fellow researchers, radiology also established
itself as an "effective way to visualize the hidden artistic beauty
within the human and animal bodies".
After the discovery of this ground-breaking technology, others
(such as Viennese photo chemists Josef Maria Eder and Eduard
Valenta) soon began experimenting and in 1896, Eder and
Valenta modified 15 radiographs of animal skeletons, including an
Aesculapian snake, a symbol of healing and medicine.
7