Mary Kavanagh is a visual artist and Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Lethbridge in Canada. Her work has been extensively exhibited across Canada and the U.S. Kavanagh is also a member of the Atomic Photographers Guild, an international consortium of artists focused on atomic and nuclear issues. Kavanagh's art practice is indexical and spatial, encompassing object, image, video and performative installations. Engaging field research, immersive investigation and documentation, she interrogates contested sites of industry, navigating the divide between public and private zones of cultural knowledge. Her ongoing work examining Cold War and nuclear testing programs chronicles activities and ephemera at historic sites of interest including Trinity, New Mexico; Los Alamos, New Mexico; Utah Test and Training Range; Wendover Air Base, Utah; Nevada Test Site; and Hiroshima, Japan.
ATOMIC SUITE is an exploration of the psychosocial spaces shaped by the nuclear age created by Mary Kavanaugh during an artist residency with the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Wendover, Utah.