Nava Atlas - Brief Bio

In recent years, I’ve combined my experience in the fields of publishing and the fine and applied arts to arrive at my interest in book arts. The book form and concept is central to my practice; sometimes as an end in itself but just as often as a jumping off point for text-driven objects and installations as well as published works.

A series of sculptural books and related installations will be part of a three-person traveling exhibit launching in April 2010. “In Retrospect: Artist’s books and works on paper by Maureen Cummins, Ann Lovett, and Nava Atlas” is in the midst of a six-venue tour, with several additional bookings in the works.

My work has been shown nationally in museums, galleries, and alternative art spaces, including the Wichita Art Museum, Suffolk Museum (VA), ARC Gallery (Chicago), Purdue University, Duke University, Everson Museum (Syracuse, NY) Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (Silver Spring, MD), and many others. My work is in several public collections, including the New York Public Library Collection of Prints and Drawings, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art (SUNY New Paltz), The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science (SD), Weatherspoon Art Gallery (NC), and others.

In addition, my artist’s books are housed in dozens collections of artists books, including those at MOMA (NY), National Museum of Women in the Arts (Wash., DC), Yale University, The National Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Duke University, Skidmore College, The Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University, and many others.

A particular area of interest is the intersection of the artist’s books practice with conventional publishing. i’ve recently expanded and adapted two limited edition artist’s books to create trade editions. The first, Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife, a parody 1950s-style cookbook that explores contemporary marriage, was published in 2009 by Simon & Schuster; the second, Dear Literary Ladies, will have its companion trade edition (The Literary Ladies' Guide to the Writing Life) published in 2011 by Sellers Publishing. A number of other such project are in the planning stages.

I live and work in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.

My artist's books are represented by Vamp and Tramp (http://www.vampandtramp.com).