Shannon Cannings b. 1972 — Shannon Cannings is known for her pop-inspired paintings that render the sweetness of childhood with a sour note. Plastic toy guns are brightly depicted in a delectable palate reminiscent of a nostalgic and forbidden hard candy. The ominous undertones of these works question the innocence of childhood games, highlighting their tendency to normalize violence at a young age. “The names of the pieces are things that I think about being a happy veneer for something that carries a great consequence,” says Cannings. “Like Friendly Fire, that sounds like a game you play with a hose in your backyard; it doesn’t sound as horrible as it really is.” Cannings engages viewers to explore the complexities of a gun culture that has become more and more pervasive in everyday America. 

The background of Cannings works seems to change across time. In one show, we see the toy guns lined against the target – making us question what truly is being shot at. In other works, Cannings places the toy guns against distorted metallic backgrounds, creating a sense of unease in the frame. In Cannings’ most recent works, we see her take these distorted backgrounds and make them into the subjects. The distorted patterns take on a new meaning when we realize her material is bespoke dye made from melted down gun metal. She has also introduced the mylar balloon as her subject – connecting her past toy guns with her new distortions. Her hypnotic patterns and use of color create a work on paper that appears three-dimensional and otherworldly. Across Canning’s oeuvre, there is a sense of both familiarity and discomfort, pushing the viewer to question how Canning’s works reflect the current society and time.

Shannon Cannings was raised in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Syracuse University. Cannings has been included in over fifty juried and invitational exhibitions throughout the United States. Cannings has had recent exhibitions at Anya Tish Gallery, Houston, Texas, Museum of the Southwest, Midland, Texas, and the Fine Arts Gallery, Levelland, TX. Cannings’ recent exhibitions include a solo exhibition at McCormack Gallery, Midland College, Midland, Texas and a three-person exhibition at the Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, Texas. Cannings presented a solo show at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Abilene, Texas, and a two-person show with her husband, William Cannings, at the Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock, Texas. She is a Hunting Prize Finalist and was shortlisted for an ArtPace San Antonio Summer Residency. She has been included in multiple publications, including “Loaded: Guns in Contemporary Art”, “View From My Window”, and New American Paintings. Shannon Cannings lives and works in Lubbock, Texas, where she has taught as an adjunct professor of art at Texas Tech University for nearly two decades.