For Immediate Release Contact: Anya Tish<\/p>\n

Anya Tish Gallery<\/p>\n

anyatishgallery.com<\/p>\n

anya@anyatishgallery.com<\/p>\n

713.524.2299<\/p>\n

FREEZE!\u00a0Shannon Cannings \u2022 Corey Pickett |\u00a0October 13 \u2013 November 11, 2017<\/p>\n

Artists Reception: October 13, 6:00 \u2013 8:30 pm<\/p>\n

Artists Q&A and Walk-Through: October 14, 1:00 \u2013 2:00 pm<\/p>\n

Anya Tish Gallery is thrilled to present FREEZE!, a two-person exhibition featuring paintings and drawings by\u00a0Shannon Cannings and soft sculptures by Corey Pickett. Through the lens of their own race and gender, both artists\u00a0question the role of guns in our society in order to appeal for the re-evaluation of current gun legislation.<\/p>\n

By looking past the veneer of consumerism, which has distorted and glorified the meaning of \u2018gunplay\u2019, Shannon\u00a0Cannings\u2019 oil paintings explore how toy guns normalize gun culture and create a tolerance for violent language and\u00a0behavior from childhood. Using the candy-colored and eye-catching visuals of advertising, Cannings\u2019 work draws\u00a0attention to the juxtaposition of gun violence and the allegedly harmless children\u2019s toy. Each painting is\u00a0meticulously executed to spotlight the shiny, colored plastic of the gun and its glossy, light reflecting packaging to\u00a0create an almost irresistible product. Cannings\u2019 works are the product of a mother\u2019s meditation on the convoluted\u00a0messages of advertising and a response to the controversy surrounding gun control.<\/p>\n

In place of gunmetal and steel, Corey Pickett\u2019s immense gun sculptures are stuffed with foam and upholstered in a\u00a0m\u00e9lange of versicolor patterns. Pickett draws inspiration from his research of the middle passage and uses Victorian\u00a0and Dutch textiles to visually reference the past conditions of African-Americans. The artist states \u201cInitially these\u00a0objects were in response to gun violence towards African-Americans; however, my work has expanded to gun\u00a0violence against all humans\u201d. Pickett\u2019s ebullient soft sculptures transpose the issue of gun violence to create a\u00a0comfortable and secure environment in which to contemplate the role of guns in our society.<\/p>\n

Shannon Cannings earned her Master of Fine Arts from Syracuse University, New York, and has since exhibited\u00a0her work across the United States in museums and institutions including Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont,\u00a0TX and Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX. In 2001, she was selected to represent the West Texas region in the Texas\u00a0Biennale. Her work has been featured in print and online publications including New American Paintings and the\u00a0Houston Press, and Glasstire.<\/p>\n

Corey Pickett received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2000 and his Master of Education in 2008 from Eastern New\u00a0Mexico University. In 2017 he is to receive his Master of Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Art. Pickett has\u00a0exhibited his work throughout the United States in institutions such as the National African American Museum and\u00a0Cultural Center and is a recipient of the International Sculptural Center\u2019s 2017 Outstanding Student Achievement in\u00a0Contemporary Sculpture Award.<\/p>\n

Anya Tish Gallery . 4411 Montrose Blvd. . Houston Texas 77006 . 713.524.2299 . anyatishgallery.com . anya@anyatishgallery.combest Running shoes<\/a> | Vans Shoes That Change Color in the Sun: UV Era Ink Stacked & More \u2013 Fitforhealth News<\/a><\/span>