Brief Bouts of Mischief: David Zinn’s Chalk Drawings Imbue Everyday Street Scenes with Playful Character

 

Since 1987, Ann Arbor-based artist David Zinn has gathered a diverse and humorous cast of characters on the sidewalks, streets, and walls of his hometown. In some of his newest works, a tiny tomfool alien explodes a load of asphalt with the push of a button, a dandelion lights the candle of a young dino’s cake, and an unenthused amphibian with “resting frogface” peers from a hole in some mortar.

Zinn recently published two books, including The Chalk Art Handbook, a how-to guide for creating temporary chalk art in public places, and Chance Encounters, showcasing numerous examples of his interventions over the years. Find more of the artist’s work on his website, and follow along on Instagram as he transforms more hidden corners of his community.