Biography
Constance Vepstas is self-taught in Photography and Photoshop. She has travelled the world while creating art. An eight-time visitor of the Biennale Arte Venice, many days at Documenta, and the Istanbul Biennial, and visiting the art museums of the world have influenced Vepstas’ ways of seeing and making art. Vepstas aims to raise questions for the viewers.
Vepstas early influences included Artemisia and Arc Chicago women’s coop-galleries. She was part of a revolution of American women and politics following Judy Chicago and Joy Poe. Vepstas influences include by Chicago theater, such as Body Politics. Vepstas believes art, and in particular, surrealism can express a universal human experience.
Artist’s Statement
The Animal Within Us
Man and animal are one and the same. Spirituality of the soul triumphs in man, survival of the fittest in animals. Man questions his survival as he struggles to survive. It seems when there is no answer to situations man becomes surreal not being able to rationalize all things that happen. In these images I want to present the characteristics, animal instinct and the surreal we encounter by our dumbfounded state we experience when there are no answers to our situations. “The Animal Within Us” are manipulated photographs printed by the artist.