Amberwood Press, Inc. ~ New York
(Nava Atlas)

(Mis)labeling Hillary
or, why she just couldn't win
By Nava Atlas
New Paltz, New York: Amberwood Press, Inc., 2008. Edition of 10.

7.75 x 11.25"; 10 pages. Accordion structure with archival inkjet print. Bound in blue cloth with full page illustrated front cover.

Nava Atlas: "(Mis)labeling Hillary continues a series of works that explores language pertaining to female stereotyping. In this artist's book, images of Hillary Clinton appropriated from news articles are teamed with brief comments attributed to a variety of news sources, from blogs to mainstream newspapers and magazines. Each quote contains a common female epithet that has been applied to Hillary, from the relatively benign hag, battle-ax, and ice queen, building up to the ultimate bitch, whore, cunt. From my perspective, this book poses two questions: Why do media (both mainstream and underground) feel justified in getting so personal, going so far beyond issues and even personality when it comes to writing about Hillary? And how can any woman, flaws and all, ever crack what she termed the 'highest glass ceiling' when the most degrading feminine epithets are still so casually tossed off? It seems that whoever said that sexism trumps racism was correct in this instance. I'm outraged, even though I ended up voting for Barack Obama . . ."
$385

Love and Marriage
By Nava Atlas
New Paltz, New York: Amberwood Press, Inc., 2008. Edition of 100.

7 x 10.5"; 32 pages. Digital offset printing. Saddle-stitched.

Nava Atlas: "Love and Marriage is an altered comic book utilizing art from the 1950s. The original dialog has been removed, replaced by dry deadpan banter, between male and female characters on the mythology of modern marriage, supermoms, media’s obsession with domesticity, over the-top weddings, and monogamy. Interspersed are ads from the era, whose absurdity is left intact, in their original, unaltered state."

The comic books that supplied the art are credited on the inside of the back cover.
$75

Sluts & Studs
By Nava Atlas
New Paltz, New York: Amberwood Press, Inc., 2007. Edition of 5.

6.5 x 14"; 20 pages. Flag structure. Illustrated paper-covered boards with quarter book cloth. Archival inkjet-printed pages.

Nava Atlas: "Sluts & Studs looks at the language of sexuality, and the contrasts between the female and male terminology via dictionary definitions. Most of the terms for men who are sexually prolific are most often either positive, or at worst, imply a certain naughtiness, while the terms for women are uniformly negative, signifying promiscuity, lack of morality, and prostitution. While this may not be exactly surprising seeing these terms in the context of iconic 1950s style imagery is a gentle yet jarring reminder that despite the so called 'sexual revolution' the language of sexuality has not much changed, and is still largely a throwback to attitudes of the past."
$450 (Last two copies)

Tomcats & Trollops
By Nava Atlas
New Paltz, New York: Amberwood Press, Inc., 2007. Edition of 5.

6.5 x 14"; 19 pages. Flag structure. Illustrated paper-covered boards with quarter cloth. Archival inkjet-printed pages.

Nava Atlas: "This book is a variation on Sluts & Studs, with the vintage images showing amorous couples instead of the single male/female images of the previous book, but using the same language and dictionary definitions. This makes the question all the more poignant; if each half of the couple is enjoying their pairing, why, then, is the language applied to them different?"
$450