Anthony Zinonos is a British collage artist based in southern California. He applies his unique collage style to various outlets, including editorial, murals, and animation. He is one of the many talented artists featured in the newly released publication The Age of Collage 3 produced by Berlin-based publisher Gestalten. The artist has done commercial work with brands like Burt’s Bees, Kodak, Ace Hotel, and Buzzfeed. New Collection has recently acquired several pieces from Zinonos, some of which are published here for your viewing pleasure.
There is a simplicity about the collage-based illustrations that Anthony Zinonos creates. In his work, we encounter miniature figures interacting between positive and negative space. Minimal dream-like landscapes are proposed through these fragile compositions, where solid colors meet vintage photography, a story unfolding, a mountain climbed, an isolated moment, magnified. The placement of the figures onto the fields of color is where the dialogue begins. A point of friction is elaborated on a jagged torn paper edge while simultaneously a smooth, soft curve cradles a couple looking into a void sphere reminiscent of the moon.
In “timeALONE,” a muted pale green piece of paper is placed onto a solid white background; a sliver of the green is missing from the top coming down, creating a U shaped block. A man is placed on the edge of the fragment within the pale green field. He sits in a lounge chair with one foot up, reading what looks to be a newspaper. A sense of reflective calmness is created, allowing the viewer to contemplate and pause for a moment. The pale green block of color could be a metaphor to his busy life, full of tasks, appointments, and work. The missing sliver of pale green creates clarity, room to breath, and time to pause.
Anthony Zinonos answered our artist questionnaire over email in December of 2020.
Mario Zoots: What’s a normal day like for you in the studio?
Anthony Zinonos: I spend the morning sorting out emails, orders and running errands. I always stop by any thrift stores on the way to have a scratch around and see if I can find any good books or magazines to use. I tend to get more work done in the afternoons, once I've got stuff out the way I can settle in with some good music and start cutting and sticking.
How many hours a week do you spend making art?
Maybe 20 hours, it's hard to tell I seem to spend so much time doing other things like answering emails or staring at my phone...
What have you been listening to lately?
Idles, Viagra Boys, The Breeders and Thee Oh Sees have been on heavy rotation recently.
Have you read any interesting books recently?
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk.
What are you watching?
Just rewatched season 2 of Fargo, it's so good. The colour grading is incredible!!
When was the first time you ever exhibited your work? Where was it?
Back in 2003 I showed some photographs in a pub in Norwich UK.
What are you working on right now?
I'm just finishing off an album and singles artwork for Australian musician Riley Pierce, then have another album project lined up which I'm pretty excited about. Also working on some new collages and some other experiments which I'm still not sure about yet but enjoying the process.
What is your favorite tool in the studio? Why?
My scissors, I've tried so many different pairs of scissors and nothing compares to them. They are Korbond fabric scissors, I think they are a UK brand because I can't seem to find them here in the US.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
Reading MAD magazine when I was around nine or ten, I'm sure a lot of the jokes were flying straight over my head but it made me want to be a cartoonist or something where I could draw funny pictures for a living.
What’s the last thing that made you laugh?
My dogs acting the fools this morning, I'm easily amused!
Have any pets? What are their names?
Yes I'm the proud father of two dogs, Mr Pickles who is a one eyed Pug and Zander who is a Chug (Pug Chihuahua mix).
What’s the last art show you saw?
'Table Of Losses' by Jesse Draxler in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
If you could have one piece of art to live with for the rest of your life, which one would you choose? Why?
Could I have a window instead? I'd much prefer a window to look out of than a piece of artwork.
What’s next for you?
Just keep making collages, more commercial projects and hopefully get to travel again soon.
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Interested in making your own collages? Anthony creates these sweet little DIY collage kits that you can order from his website here.
