Dramatic x-ray images of flowers are on view at the Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts through January 9 in the special exhibition Radiographic Photography by Merrill Raikes: The Inner Beauty of Flowers. A free reception with the artist will be held on November 11, from 5 to 7 pm at the museum.

The photos are the work of  Dr. Merrill Raikes, a Conway, Massachusetts, resident who spent 30 years looking at black and white images as a radiologist. Since he retired, he has been creating fine art by combining his interest in black and white photography, love of flowers and expertise in radiology.

The ethereal images Raikes creates through the x-ray process illustrate both the strength and fragility of flowers and reveal the complexity of structure that cannot be captured with traditional photography.

Many of the photos in the exhibition have won awards, been published, exhibited and included in corporate collections.