Untitled (she who carries the shit, decomposition), 2020

mother lode is a showcase of Shelton's exceptional talent, offering a profound exploration of themes close to the heart of our cultural landscape.

'Disrupting our aesthetically based relationship with garden landscapes and the Edenic heritage of such manufactured notions of nature, this group of images engages with the history of gardens and their representation in an art historical context. Taken at Wairarapa Eco Farm, they oppose the formulaic and crafted nature of the gardens we have come to regard as beautiful and which have long populated our art historical frame. This garden is a wholly different aesthetic beast where groupings of kale can just be seen emerging from clumps of grass in late summer, and trees, herbs, and all kinds of plant matter co-exist and thrive.'