Learn English with the News: “X-ray Art”

Hello everyone,

It’s Thursday and time for learning a little bit of English with the news.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Read the text
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Watch the video

Text

Podiatrist Dr. Paula Fontaine is preparing her next x-ray shoot… and it’s not of a foot or a leg. Today she is photographing a turtle shell that her business partner Joseph Moisan will turn into a work of art. Together they own “radiant art studios” that sells fine art prints, jewelry and home goods made from prints from the x-ray machine in Dr. Fontaine’s office in Westminster, Massachusetts.

– It’s a collection of images based on both organic and inorganic subject matter. We take pictures of all sorts of things like light bulbs, feet, shells. And we create art using a process called digital map painting on top of the x-ray images.

Moisan was originally hired by Fontaine to work on her computers. But after he learned how to operate the x-ray machine, he noticed that he could treat the pictures like his regular digital photographs.

– It’s kind of like a serendipity kind of moment because that little light bulb goes off and you think to yourself, ‘I could make this work.’

Since then the duo has displayed their work at numerous art shows and on their website, challenging the notion that beauty is just skin-deep…

Vocabulary

Podiatrist – a doctor who treats injuries and diseases of the foot.

Fine art – a type of art (such as painting, sculpture, or music) that is done to create beautiful things.

Hired – to give work or a job to (someone) in exchange for wages or a salary.

Serendipity – luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for.

Duo – two people who perform together, are usually seen together, or are associated with each other.

Challenging – difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable.

Notion – an idea or opinion.

Video