December 2017
Ann Shelton left her hometown of Timaru in the 80’s on a mission. Her sense of social justice coupled with an interest in human narratives saw her working as one of New Zealand’s first female press photographers at the Dominion in Wellington. From there Ann moved to K’ Rd in Auckland, and attended Elam School of Fine Arts in the 90s. Her seminal project Redeye captured the zeitgeist of that time, and catapulted her to public notoriety. Over 25 years Ann has made many rich and complex bodies of work that unearth local mythologies, ‘ghosted’ stories and characters previously written out of history. Ann’s photographs and artist books form a significant contribution to the history of contemporary photographic practice in Aotearoa New Zealand Artists, writers and curators speak with passion and insight about Ann’s work and its historical and contemporary contexts. Ann herself provides much of the guiding narration. The air is a material explores the visual themes and motifs of Ann’s work, tracing its origins in the history and landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand. Produced and directed by Becky Nunes, New Zealand 2016. Doc Edge Festival: Selected in competition and Finalist, Best Documentary Feature. Made with the support of Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design and the Chartwell Trust. Premiere: Screened as part of the opening program of events for Dark Matter exhibition November 26th 2016 + accompanying artist talk Auckland Art Gallery, 26 Nov 2016 DocEdge Film Festival Screenings: Wellington: Roxy Theatre 17th May/19th May 2017 Auckland: Q Theatre 30 May/2 June 2017 Govett Brewster 10th December 2017
