Last time we caught up with Brandon Sines, he was selling his witty work at the B + B Bazaar. Now the artist, whose studio is in Bushwick, is taking over a former bodega near his East Village apartment.
On May 3, Sines will bring his hirsute cartoon character, Frank Ape — whose mangy mug you’ve seen on the streets of Brooklyn, on T-shirts, and even on a line of wallets — to Specials on C, the bodega that was washed out by Sandy and has since been used for art exhibits, fashion launches and secret shows.
“Dealing With Things Is Tricky” is the LA-born, Canada-raised artist’s second solo show since his work appeared at The Living Gallery in early 2013. It’ll feature drawings, paintings, and mixed-media pieces in which Frank is depicted recreating iconic photos of John Lennon and Janet Jackson, and posing with The Simpsons, Miley Cyrus, Kiss and Pussy Riot. (See Frank’s Facebook page for a preview of some items and rest assured he hangs with celebrities in real life, too: we’re told Solange bought four pieces.)
There will also be Frank-branded drinks and canned items (not unlike the art bodega that was recently created in Bushwick) and projections set to a soundtrack of ’80s tunes.
So go ahead, spend your Saturday night shopping for franks at the bodega. It’s not sad at all!
“Dealing With Things Is Tricky” opens May 3 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.; on view daily, by appointment through May 6, at Specials on C, 195 Ave. C, at 12th St.