Shannon Duncan

Since 2004, Shannon Duncan has been interested in collecting, photographing, and cataloging discarded symbols of value within Houston,TX. In February 2008, Polaroid stopped producing instant film; to create a parallel, Duncan decided to visually preserve Houston’s Inner Loop with this passing medium. After a six-month-long scavenger hunt, Duncan has been able to capture the changing states of 424 residential properties. Within the installation of Polaroids, she is able to depict the remnants of a consumer culture from a bittersweet, yet endearing perspective.Duncan has also created a collage of the found objects recovered from these properties. Dysfunctional birthday cards, very expired consumables, and happy meal toys are among these represented finds. This once precious ephemera is exalted to call forth nostalgia from the residents of Houston’s Inner Loop.

After earning a BA in Studio Art and Sociology from Wesleyan College in Macon,Georgia, Shannon Duncan relocated to Houston to pursue her MFA in Photography at the University of Houston. Duncan’s work—(Re)Collection, A NewSense ofOrder, 12.48–348 Coins, and 46-Pick-Up—was featured in the MFA ThesisExhibition at the University of Houston in May of 2007.