Colorific

One of the masters of palette in our community is the indomitable CYN WHY, who often appends a question mark to her moniker...but is rarely that uncertain when it comes to the creative process. Our BRICK BY BRICK 2 jury awarded her BEST POP OF COLOR for this first piece, but it could just as easily have applied to her second work, too.(Notably, as of this writing, the prize-winning painting is still available for purchase!) The artist pulls no punches about her approach to this newest body of work: “These pieces are a 98% just sexy smartassery. There are artistic choices I could speak too much about — the punk touches...and the 80s aesthetic vs. what Being Gay In The 80s *meant*...and the idea of how long Queer people have had to sanitize our existence for the sake of acceptance, plus some other stuff that’s personal to me about these pieces. But mostly I just wanted to make some double entendres and continue to torture myself with drawing hands.”

CYN WHY
“Let Us Pray”
10 x 8
gouache and acrylic ink on Bristol,
mounted on wood panel
150.

“Speak No Evil”
10 x 8
gouache and acrylic ink on Bristol,
mounted on wood panel
150.

Thanks-Cyn-ing

As we officially sign off from our 2023 AUTUMN INVITATIONAL and fully transition to UNDER $100, opening NEXT Thursday, November 30, we have to stop to recognize CYN WHY. You may ask: hey, WHY didn’t we feature this work in the countdown to the end of the Invitational? Simply put, it’s because we were aiming for 11th-hour sales (and we had a couple of those), but Cyn had sold out her seven phenomenal works. That’s no mean feat. The artist is happy to elaborate: “I love comics because each panel is a moment in time. You can orchestrate how that time flows. Or whether it flows. Comics are immediate and familiar and utterly versatile. I find comfort in airing my thoughts via boxes.” That philosophy found an immediate, receptive audience and while we are more than grateful for the contributions of all five artists — ELENA MASROUR, MICAELA PIRZIO-BIROLI, FRED PLUMLEY and HOLLY WYNN — it made Cyn an undisputed star of the show. Thank you and congratulations to all...including our lucky buyers!

CYN WHY
(in order of the portfolio shown)
“Better #1”
10 x 8
red pencil and ink on Bristol
mounted on board
90.

“Better #2”
10 x 8
red pencil and ink on Bristol
mounted on board
90.

“Better #4”
10 x 8
red pencil and ink on Bristol
mounted on board
90.

“Love Songs”
10 x 8
red pencil and ink on Bristol
mounted on board
90.

Doubleheader Today

No doubt, many are going to book it out of work just a little early to make it to a screen for NLCS Game3, with its 5:07 start time. We humbly suggest you choose the big screen at DIRTY FRANK'S. And after the #heroics of Schwarber-Turner-Harper-Realmuto-Castellanos, we invite you to transition to our OFF THE WALL lineup: Masrour...Pirzio-Biroli...Plumley...Why...and Wynn with the OPENING RECEPTION of the 2023 AUTUMN INVITATIONAL. To be frank (which we always are at Frank’s), it’s ONE BIG PARTY! So doubles, double plays, punchouts and long balls, 5-8 PM. Then drawing and illustration, painting (including 3D wine box paintings), and printmaking, 7-10 PM. Drinks, conversation and curator JODY SWEITZER, who will bartend, then cede her gig to ROSE COSSABONE and host, ensure that the fun, red dots and #RedOctober pick up momentum throughout. See you tonight!