Chalk Artist Transforms Everyday Streets Into Magical Works Of Art

One Michigan resident has taken to leaving surprise art on the street.

Kylin

• Published in Interesting
• April 2, 2022

If you find yourself in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you may be lucky enough to stumble upon some rather surprising, and very cute, chalk art. David Zinn, the artist behind these adorable and randomly placed creations is well known for his “ephemeral art,” and each piece is composed entirely of chalk, charcoal, and whatever random object is nearby where he decides to work.

Winding cracks, grooves, holes in cement, and weeds growing up between sidewalk bricks are enough to inspire Zinn’s next piece of art. And every piece of art is improvised on the spot through a process known as “pareidolic anamorphosis” or “anamorphic pareidolia,” which is a very cool and fancy way of saying the images he creates are best viewed at a specific vantage point to properly see the image that may otherwise be distorted.

Zinn has been creating art since 1987, freelancing for a variety of commercial projects, while implementing his inspired chalk street art on the side. He’s worked on everything from business logos, murals, and environmental superheroes to “less practical” creations including bar coasters and cake icing.

While the majority of his endearing chalk art can be found on the sidewalks in Michigan, he’s had the opportunity to create more in places further away, like subway platforms in New York, and sidewalks and street corners in Sweden and Taiwan. Thanks to the rise of social media, Zinn has been able to achieve global fame through sharing his art on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

He currently has over 677k followers on Instagram, 569K followers on Facebook, and 27.6K Followers on Twitter. Altogether, over a million people follow Zinn and his magical creations!

Continue scrolling to see 30 of his creative sidewalk works, including some recurring characters, like Sluggo (a bright green alien with eye stalks), Nadine (a sweet and adventurous mouse), and Philomena (a flying pig).

1. "Get out there and show them what they're made of!"

2. No Cats

3. "Benny doesn’t want you to think he was eavesdropping or anything, but he got the impression that at least one of you needs a balloon."

4. Surprise offering for sneaky bunny

5. "Autumn is a Season of Surprising Depth"

6. "Nadine and the Good Listener"

7. "Generally but especially at this time of year, it’s advisable to keep the hope hatch ajar."

8. Balloon time

9. "Nadine and the Mystery of the Singing Knitter"

10. "Dress for the job you want"

11. "I asked these guys for advice on social distancing. They were stumped"

12. "Nadine and the Tea Truce"

13. "Nadine and the Adventure of the Audiophile Wombat"

14. "Emile’s castle isn’t grand, but it has everything he always wanted: one good window and a really big stove/"

15. "This building has seen better days. Luckily, Edith is a load-bearing possum"

16. "Kevin has a healthy distrust of robins, squirrels, and the first three warm days in March"

17. TFW the snow melts before you can sled

18. "Today’s concrete rumination: maybe pigs don’t fly because their undersides are too ticklish."

19. "Bite the hand that draws you"

20. " I don’t know if this is an endorsement of sticking to the narrow path or a warning against it. Either way, watch your step!"

21. "Shirley has few needs, but a robotic long-tailed pet lizard-dog is apparently high on that list"

22. "It’s what all the fashionable turtles are wearing this spring."

23. "Pigbunny" ready for some high-fives

24. "Anyone else feel like their creator maybe got distracted before the job was finished?"

25. Making Waffles

26. "Wendell has calculated how many times he can hear “If I Had a Hammer” in one day, and Terry's about to lose his tiny pickaxe."

27. "Bring a little light"

28. "Nadine and the Contrarian Bloom"

29. "Sluggo" helping clean the sidwalks

30. "Neil’s “one cookie per day” rule has hit a technical snag."

Check out this short-film about Zinn and his work!

I can only imagine the delight in stumbling across one of Zinn’s sidewalk drawings in real life. This would honestly be good enough for me to add Ann Arbor to my “eventual vacation” list.

You can find more of David Zinn’s work below:

Instagram Facebook Twitter Zinn’s Art Store

Zinn’s work is certain to brighten anyone’s day, so be sure to spread the cheer and share this with your friends and family.

Kylin