While some painters prefer to paint on canvases, others, like David Zinn, prefer to add art to unexpected areas. The Ann Arbor artist makes humorous chalk painting on neighborhood sidewalks, brick walls, and other surfaces, often including real-life features (such as fractures in the cement) in his work.
Zinn's unusual, cartoon-like style allows him to create a wide range of quirky animal creatures. Each one is skillfully created to appear as if it is interacting with its surroundings. For example, in his depiction of a green frog, he uses a sprinkler head in the backdrop to represent the amphibian's right eye. Similarly, a small pink rabbit dressed in a tutu walks across the sidewalk division as if it were a tightrope. These decisions not only bring Zinn's work to life, but they also inject part of his wonderful imagination into the real world.
Another feature that distinguishes Zinn's work is his use of perspective. Many of his illustrations have a three-dimensional depth to them, giving them the appearance of cartoon portals. Zinn, for example, redraws a piece of pavement to make it appear as if it opens into a blue sky and a pig is flying out in one installation. He draws over a brick in another to make it look like a little mouse lives within and is gazing outwards. His painting is significantly more enjoyable to look at because of these minor details.
Jean Dubreil