Jonathan LeVine Gallery is proud to announce the opening of Andrew Brandou’s first New York solo exhibition, Everyone’s Happier Now That You’re Gone. Brandou has created a series of thirty large scale and multiple panel paintings for his solo show. Painting from the perspective of a Southern California artist influenced as a child growing up in the 1970’s in a society fascinated with Charles Manson culture, cult mentality and murder, Andrew Brandou integrates both pop culture and personal references for his latest narrative. His work is a combination of simple Golden Book style creatures and sophisticated gold leafing that makes the works pop and contrasts vibrantly with the colorful illustrations. According to the artist, the leafing is far from professional. “There’s no method to how I do it,” Brandou said at the preview show. “I just put it up there and work around it.” Whether there’s a method to his madness or not, the work was absolutly stunning.

The gallery also is featuring Il Lume Della Piovra, a special project room installation of six new octopus chandeliers by Adam Wallacavage and The Licky Sticky Sugar Show, new paintings by featured emerging artist, Nouar. Wallacavage’s offering consisted of tentacle-style light pieces that looked like blown glass, but were actually made of plaster. The room was designed for a nautical effect with dry ice blowing smoke from the ground. A book signing event for the release of Adam Wallacavage’s collection of photography spanning the past fifteen years, Monster Size Monsters, will be held on July 22, from 3pm-6pm. Finally, Nouar brought a selection of sweet as pie paintings reminiscent of Gary Baseman, but not as perverse. The up and comer even had cupcakes made for the occasion. Yum. All three exhibits will be on view from June 24 through July 22 with an opening reception held on Saturday, June 24 from 6-9pm. Handpainted mini AK-47s by Brandou are being given out at tonight’s opening reception. Get there early for the action.