Works By Zinsky

Actively encouraged by the proprietor of the respected UK art seller, Lincolnshire Gallery situated in Spalding, Mark Fisher in the aftermath of a chance encounter with Zinsky’s mother, the artist’s success story has since snowballed as his special brand of highly stylised yet resolutely personable work has rapidly risen to prominence in contemporary art circles. So the story goes, Fisher invited Zinsky to compete a brief, to determine just how quickly he could turn a painting around to ensure him that he could originate under pressure if needs be. Fisher suggested a composition based on arch villain of musical theatre and sometime Kate Moss indie-rock accessory, Pete Docherty; and Zinsky duly obliged. The very next day Zinsky’s mother handed over her son’s slick visual and it was clear to an impressed Fisher that the boy’s work had something about it. Something raw, visceral and above all else, un-tapped and realised in the wider art world. Bingo. On the back of this, Fisher commissioned Zinsky to go to creative town and paint portraits of the late, great chanteuse, Amy Winehouse and the boxer who needs no introduction whatsoever, Mohammed Ali. Acting as his guide and artistic guru from that juncture forward, Fisher admits that a considerable buzz and vibe has built around Zinsky in a relatively short space of time, and in a recent departure he’s even persuaded Zinsky to try his hand at street scenes and landscapes, with his native Barcelona benefiting from this new direction. Incidentally, Zinsky’s second exhibition of the Catalan capital’s cityscapes sold out in just 15 minutes flat!

There’s no doubting that Zinsky’s style of contemporary portraiture has caught a time and a mood where the art of the icon as such is in much demand, yet even within this burgeoning genre his larger than life pieces command our attention and subsequent respect. Zinsky adopts a new, invigorating approach to the subject of mugshots of the rich and famous, which reveal a sporadic, spontaneous ambience despite being grounded in a stark, gritty and illustratively emotive reality. So, what of the private young man behind such urbane compositions. According to his mother, the artist, whilst not necessarily being referred to as an enigma, cannot and should not be identified, or stereotyped in any way, and ultimately must be stand or fall on the basis of its subject matter and quality. Fair enough. But what we do know is that Zinsky was born and bred here in the UK, however has since moved to Barcelona. And anyone who’s ever visited the Catalan capital knows that it’s a veritable hotbed of art, culture and architectural delights there to be soaked up, and it’s evident that Zinsky has immersed himself fully in his new surroundings. He also favours, it’s fair to acknowledge, more of a bohemian lifestyle and is generally considered something of a non-conformist figure, although never bordering on anti-establishmentalism. Ironically though, it’s worth musing that in spite of Zinsky’s artistically political/social stance his brilliance of brushwork and exceptional contemporary craftsmanship would lend much and more to a conventional public space as well as even the most conservative of galleries.

The future appears to be Zinsky’s for the taking, as he seemingly has the contemporary art world at his feet, craving his next piece and collection. Not bad going for a young man who just two years back was unemployed and struggling to express himself or his art in modern society, whilst now he’s under the wing of one of the country’s leading art publishing houses, DeMontford Fine Art who are launching him on many new fronts. Having said that, Zinksy’s has remained loyal to the man who gave him his first break, with Fisher still instrumental behind the scenes, perpetually encouraging him to explore further possibilities achievable with his skillset. Fisher adds; “My task is to encourage Zinsky to realise his potential as an artist, allow him space to try different mediums and to protect him from the spotlight”, going on to say; “I believe his future is secured with the help of people within the trade who have shown enthusiasm for such an unusual story, but overall his art will stand alone in a very critical world.”