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Ann Shelton: Dark Matter

Ann Shelton Bookshelves

Installation View at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 2016

Ann Shelton: Dark Matter

  • Where

    Auckland Art Gallery & Christchurch Art Gallery

  • When

    26 November 2016 - 15 May 2018

Dark Matter explored celebrated New Zealand photographer Ann Shelton’s deep and enduring practice. Themes of time and place, trauma, narrative and female authorship are present within her often destabilising and fragmented photographs, against the backdrop of sociological and psychological explorations of people on the fringes of culture. The exhibition incorporated new, unseen work from Shelton’s studio which uncovered previously overlooked narratives.


The exhibition first appeared at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki from 26 November 2016 - 17 April 2017, and then toured to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū from 16 December 2017 – 15 April 2018. Dark Matter included artworks from the Chartwell Collection including Shelton’s significant series documenting the Frederick B. Butler Collection of Scrapbooks (2006).


Curated by Zara Stanhope.

Featured Artworks

Laudanum, Minnie Dean's unmarked grave, Winton Cemetery, Southland, New Zealand

Laudanum, Minnie Dean's unmarked grave, Winton Cemetery, Southland, New Zealand

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Families Volume 1200 to New Zealand 1939 May 17 – June 8

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Families Volume 1200 to New Zealand 1939 May 17 – June 8

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: New Zealand 1939 June 8 – July 11 to New Zealand 1945 March 28 – December 22

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: New Zealand 1939 June 8 – July 11 to New Zealand 1945 March 28 – December 22

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Volume 400 26 October 1939 – January 28 1941 Births, Deaths and Marriages to Volume 1096, 1899 August – September

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Volume 400 26 October 1939 – January 28 1941 Births, Deaths and Marriages to Volume 1096, 1899 August – September

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Volume 1097 1899 September – November to Maori Pa’s in City Area

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Volume 1097 1899 September – November to Maori Pa’s in City Area

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Messenger A.H. Historical Articles (espec Taranaki) 1953 April – 1954 July to Air 1955 March – April

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Messenger A.H. Historical Articles (espec Taranaki) 1953 April – 1954 July to Air 1955 March – April

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Air 1955 April –June to Births etc 1948 October 1 – 18

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Air 1955 April –June to Births etc 1948 October 1 – 18

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1948 October 30 – November 11 to Births etc 1952 June 11 – 26

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1948 October 30 – November 11 to Births etc 1952 June 11 – 26

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1952 June 26 – July 2 to Births etc 1954 November 16 – 20

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1952 June 26 – July 2 to Births etc 1954 November 16 – 20

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1954 November 22 – 27 to Births etc 1957 April 22 – 26

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1954 November 22 – 27 to Births etc 1957 April 22 – 26

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1957 April 26 – 29 to Births etc 1959 November 16 – 21

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1957 April 26 – 29 to Births etc 1959 November 16 – 21

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1959 – November 21 to Hawera 1949 October – December

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Births etc 1959 – November 21 to Hawera 1949 October – December

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Hawera 1949 December – 1950 March to Opunake 1952 August – 1953 February

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Hawera 1949 December – 1950 March to Opunake 1952 August – 1953 February

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Opunake 1953 September – 1954 February to Waitara April – June 1948

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Opunake 1953 September – 1954 February to Waitara April – June 1948

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Waitara 1948 June – December to Crime 1950 Feb 1 – 15

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Waitara 1948 June – December to Crime 1950 Feb 1 – 15

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1950 February 16 – 27 to Crime 1954 Feb 2

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1950 February 16 – 27 to Crime 1954 Feb 2

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1954 February 19 – 26 to Crime 1957 April 13 – 23

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1954 February 19 – 26 to Crime 1957 April 13 – 23

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1957 April 23 – May 2 to Crime 1969 September 1 – 19

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1957 April 23 – May 2 to Crime 1969 September 1 – 19

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1969 September 19 – October 16 to Education 1957 June – July

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Crime 1969 September 19 – October 16 to Education 1957 June – July

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Education 1957 July – August to Hotels 1956 August – September

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Education 1957 July – August to Hotels 1956 August – September

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Hotels 1956 September – November to Petrol 1944 November – 1946 May

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Hotels 1956 September – November to Petrol 1944 November – 1946 May

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Petrol 1946 May – 1947 October to Post Office 1958 August – December

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Petrol 1946 May – 1947 October to Post Office 1958 August – December

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Office 1959 May – August to Shipping 1951 September – November

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Office 1959 May – August to Shipping 1951 September – November

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Shipping 1954 September – October to War General 1941 July 11 – 28 August

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Shipping 1954 September – October to War General 1941 July 11 – 28 August

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: War General January 1944 – November 1945 to Weather 1956 March – April

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: War General January 1944 – November 1945 to Weather 1956 March – April

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Weather 1956 April – May to Young Farmers 1969 April – October

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Scrapbooks from: Weather 1956 April – May to Young Farmers 1969 April – October

Ann Shelton
Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Empty Shelf

Frederick B. Butler Collection, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Empty Shelf

Ann Shelton