The first phase of her exhibition career spanned the early 1980s through 2004 and focused largely on paintings using encaustic as the primary medium, and exploring color theory, geometrical proportion, and texture.
This body of work has dominated her output since that time, taking the form of installations, video, photography, and performance.
[4] The ethical scope of Novak’s concerns has expanded in several recent projects — pr!ck (2006–2008), scale (2010),[5][6] Bird (2012–14)[7] — to address ethological topics via interactive installations.
A significant portion of her work since 1998 has been collaborative, with those collaborators including musicians (Frances-Marie Uitti, Jay Alan Yim), computer scientists (Ian Horswill), neuromechanical engineers (Malcolm MacIver), as well as other new media artists.
Parallel to her activities as an exhibiting artist, she is currently a faculty member at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Department of Film, Video, New Media, and Animation).