Street artists have the unique ability to turn the entire world into their canvas. Artist David Zinn‘s work is no different, as he masterfully uses his natural environment to bring his delightful creations to life. Depending on the seasonal conditions around him, Zinn fuses his character-filled chalk drawings with foliage, fallen leaves, and more permanent landscape features, including rocks and sidewalk cracks.
Zinn's drawings are reminiscent of children's book illustrations and often feature friendly looking animals—both real and fantastical. Even though he draws a variety of creatures, his art does feature some recurring characters—including Sluggo, a tiny green monster resembling the animal it was named after; Philomena, a flying pig; and Nadine, a small but brave mouse. Many of them have three-dimensional qualities, as Zinn rarely confines his creations to the flat sidewalks, instead opting to also extend them onto staircases, streetlamps, and other fixtures of urban life. The artist also uses optical illusions in his work, providing the appearance of bottomless chasms or holes in sidewalks for his characters to climb in or out of.
Zinn has been making his characteristic chalk art around Ann Arbor, Michigan, since 1987. However, his drawings have graced sidewalks all over the world, including Sweden and Taiwan. Due to the materials that he uses and the fact that his art is often located in high-trafficked locations, all of Zinn's chalk drawings are temporary, only lasting for as long as nature allows them to. However, this contributes to their uniqueness, as no two drawings will ever be the exact same.
In order to be viewed, Zinn's work also forces people to look down and pay attention to the environment around them, which is more and more difficult in our ever-changing and increasingly connected world. However, his colorful creatures encourage people to stop and smell the roses, and perhaps find something lovely when they do.
To keep up with Zinn's work, be sure to follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
David Zinn is a street artist known for his delightful chalk creatures.
You can find his chalk drawings on sidewalks, staircases, and other locations around cities.
His characters resemble children's storybook illustrations with their imaginative and adorable appearances.
David Zinn: Website | Facebook | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by David Zinn.
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