2021
Ann Shelton’s exhibition A Lovers’ Herbal (made up of works that are also part of the ongoing series jane says) is a photographic garden of flowers and herbs arranged and offset against a brightly colored background. The plants Shelton selected - rue, peony, pennyroyal, willow - were drawn from millenia of human history in which they were used medicinally as emmenagogues (to bring on menstruation), abortifacients (to induce abortion), or contraceptives, all of varying strengths. Some are highly toxic, while others are simple herbs. Other plants in the series such as Opium were included as they were a common component in tonics and tinctures made for these purposes. Rich with oral and ancient histories Shelton’s intention is to remind us of the knowledge nature holds. The titles of the pieces include references to the botanical names of the featured plant, and the name of an archetype of femininity, such as The Mother, The Witch, The Sibyl, and The Nurse or the more contemporary Supermodel. Following the New Zealand-based artist’s visit to the United States in 2019, Shelton made a number of works that responded particularly to the nation’s political moment, including a suite of three pink works titled The Congress Woman, The Party Girl, and The Influencer, which feature the “Dinner Plate Peony”, deliberately referencing Judy Chicago’s masterwork of feminist art on permanent view at the Brooklyn Museum. Other recent U.S.-influenced works include The Justice, inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Shelton’s work is significant in this moment not only of the politicization of women’s health and the #metoo movement, but also in the time of climate change and the coronavirus, when a naturally occurring pathogen is causing worldwide devastation and death. Her work argues that our mismanagement of nature engendered incremental loss of knowledge and understanding that we cannot easily build back, and that continues to pose a danger to human existence.
Note: “Women” when used in this text and on this website is intended to be inclusive of people on the trans or genderqueer spectrum.
Exhibition Posters available for download below.
Warning. Plants are powerful and have fascinating histories part of which the artist is exploring here. But be wary of any engagement with these plants, some of them are toxic, deadly and poisonous; they should not to be messed with. The images in this series are artworks and do not constitute medical advice.
