Artist and illustrator David Zinn lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since 1987, he has been drawing on city streets with chalk and charcoal, populating potholes, cracks in walls and manholes with funny fairy-tale creatures. And although his works are short-lived and wash away with the first rain, over the years of his creative path he has gained popularity not only in Michigan, but also beyond the state and even the country.
David Zinn populates the streets of his hometown with funny characters that he draws on the walls and asphalt with chalk and charcoal. He “fits” each animal into existing “proposed circumstances,” creating amazing and cute optical illusions.
David's cute works transform ordinary sidewalks into fantasy worlds inhabited by cute characters like Sluggo the green monster and Philomena the flying pig.
Each work of the artist is a momentary burst of joy that lasts only until the first rain, erasing the small strokes. But this is the beauty of David's art: it is fleeting, like the very moment of happiness that the artist gives to the viewers.
His work is known all over the world, from his native Michigan to Sweden and Taiwan. People in many corners of the planet can suddenly stumble upon his drawings, accidentally becoming witnesses to this small miracle. Zinn proves that art can be not only in galleries, but also underfoot, accessible to everyone.
David Zinn is often asked if he is upset when his works disappear in the rain or under the sweeper's broom. But for him, temporariness is more than just an inevitability. He believes it adds a special meaning to his art.
Zinn believes that the ephemeral nature of his work is a way to remind people of the fleeting nature of a beautiful moment. Rather than mourning the loss, he sees it as an opportunity to recreate and share new art that will once again come alive on the streets.
