X-radiograph(s) of "Peter Bours" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Peter Bours," originally painted by Joseph Blackburn. It's fascinating to see this ghostly, internal view. What strikes you about the composition and technique in this X-ray? Curator: The composition, even in this radiographic form, retains a formal structure. The subject's gaze, though obscured, implies a directedness, engaging with a space beyond the frame. Observe the texture created by the canvas weave; it becomes a dominant visual element, almost a semiotic layer itself, commenting on the materiality of the original artwork. Editor: So, the X-ray reveals more than just what's beneath the surface; it also transforms the surface itself. Curator: Precisely. The radiographic process re-mediates the artwork, forcing us to consider the painting not just as an image, but as an object with a hidden structure and history. It provokes a dialogue between representation and reality.