William Cannings b. 1970- William Cannings spent time in his youth working in automotive shops where he familiarized himself with the tools and equipment needed to support his current day art practice and satisfy his hands-on approach to making. Today, the artist has mastered an innovative process of working with three of the four classical elements of nature: steel, heat and air. Each finished sculpture appears buoyant despite its heavy material, creating a dichotomy of hard and soft, weightlessness and heft. Cannings invokes a sense of wit by creating seductive forms and visual trickery that entice, provoke, and demand to be touched.
William Cannings is originally from Manchester, England and currently lives and works in Lubbock, TX with his wife, Shannon Cannings, also a fine artist, and his two daughters. He received a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from Syracuse University. He is Professor of Sculpture at Texas Tech University. In 2004, he helped to reinvigorate the Texas Sculpture Symposium, a brand of the Sculpture Network of Texas, where he continues today as an active member.
William Cannings exhibits frequently across the United States including in New York, Miami, New Mexico and Texas. He was one of four artists chosen for a solo exhibition at the 2009 Texas Biennial. His works are seen publicly in the permanent collection of the William P. Clements, Jr. Hospital at UTSW Medical Center in Dallas, TX and the HOLT CAT Headquarters in San Antonio, TX. Likewise, he is featured in the canonical publication, Texas Artists Today.
