On the front of an otherwise nondescript bodega at the corner of 12th Street and Avenue C, a large, humanoid ape lounges. His name is Frank, and if it weren't for the throngs of people visible through the front entrance behind him, his likeness would not seem out the ordinary. Frank's furry mug and witty non-sequiturs have become a familiar part of the New York landscape ever since artist Brandon Sines decided to bring him into the "real world" in 2011. And on Saturday May 3rd, Frank finally found a roof over his head.

The bodega-turned-art gallery/community space Specials on C was the location of "Dealing With Things is Tricky," Brandon Sine's first ever solo exhibition dedicated to his signature street art creation Frank Ape. This gave the friendly primate—whose image can be seen plastered all over the city—an opportunity to escape from the elements and rule his own domain.

"With Specials on C we created a whole world to walk through," says Sines. "That's what I wanted for Frank, to be able to invite people into his universe."

At the show, Frank could be found on everything from paintings to mixed media pieces, integrated into such iconic pop culture settings as Star Trek and The Simpsons. There were even Frank Ape canned beans, in keeping with the bodega theme.

Sines, who originally got into street art as a skater in Toronto, says that he found something appealing about putting someone "not evolved" into "these bright and shiny pop culture scenarios," which he feels "are polished and have evolved so much. Almost to see how he'd handle it."

He also found it appealing to forgo a conventional art gallery in favor of integrating Frank into a piece of NYC's artistic heritage. "The East Village and Alphabet City have such a rich art history I am just honored to be able to contribute and be a part of that," says Sines. "Frank became my messenger, delivering ideas to the city and in turn, the world."

Frank was originally created to inhabit a one-off image of a burning building, just "a sensitive Sasquach type of character" accompanied by the quote "Relax, this is only a dream." Since then, the transition from Frank's spontaneous birth to his recent home at Specials on C seems like a natural progression. "The more situations and settings Frank found himself in, it just seemed like an organic next step, to put Frank in the real world."

Brandon also says that Frank's growing visibility in NYC is only a recent phenomenon. He states that: "No one knew or cared who I was or asked me questions until very recently." But if there is one thing he's sure of, it's that "it's all attributed to Frank and the connection people feel with him."

31-year-old street artist and LES native Joseph Meloy was definitely one of those people who made a connection. "As soon as I saw it I liked it," he says. "A humanoid ape, it struck a chord with me." After seeing Frank for months, Meloy says that he finally met the artist and has had "Dealing With Things is Tricky" on his calendar ever since. Oddly enough, the self-described fan of monkeys and art had already been portraying his own ape-like character called "The Primate" through his brand "Vandal Expressionism."

Overall, Brandon said he was amazed by the reception of the show, feeling that "Frank really seems to bring the best out of people. And many Frank's found new homes." This won't be the last we'll be seeing of Frank Ape though.

Among other plans, Brandon says that he wants to create a Frank Ape mascot outfit in order to take "a photo series of different people in the Frank outfit in different places...abandoned buildings, bagging groceries, etc." In addition, Brandon says that he also plans to integrate other, non-Frank works into future projects. "Frank is my way to instantly connect with people. But once I have your ear (or eyes) I'll show you much more."