David Teplica has dual obsessions.  As an artist, he exhibits his work widely --using photography as a tool to investigate the richness of relationships, issues of intimacy, and how society sees and understands the body.  As a busy Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, he is also concerned with how the body is perceived and how subtle three-dimensional alterations lead to life transformations.

Teplica is best known for assembling the world's largest archive of twin imagery -- with close to ten thousand standardized anatomic photographs for scientific investigation as well as many more creative pieces that explore the psychology and emotional intensity of the twin bond.  He has also described and characterized the "mirror phenomenon" which can occur in otherwise "identical" monozygotic twins.  When mirroring is present, anatomic features are on opposite sides of the two twins.

As part of another ongoing project, Teplica explores the rich diversity of human contact.  He recently published a limited edition volume of this work titled "Intimate Decade", which is available through blurb.com.

Most recently, visual/medical explorations of surface anatomy are being created and used to help understand body shape.  The digital subtraction techniques that Teplica developed are helping to prove that body shape is genetically predetermined.  And, anatomic mapping (as seen in the portfolio) provides needed guidance for surgeons interested in performing gender-specific reproportioning of the body.   

Commercial assignments are not accepted.  Instead, collaboration is sought from both female and male models who are comfortable with themselves, and who are willing to help push one or more of the projects forward in rich and rewarding ways.  Except in the isolated case of facial portraiture, the model's identity is not wanted --so that the body can represent the generic human condition.  In exchange for time, prints and/or digital files and any published reprints are provided to help develop/broaden a model's portfolio.  Feel free to contact the studio to explore possibilities.

Collections:

Art Institute of Chicago
Chase Corporate Collection
The Kinsey Institute
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Museum of Contemporary Photography
National Portrait Gallery
Palmer Museum of Art
Portrait Gallery of Canada
Yale University Art Gallery

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