Alec Monopoly
American born Alec Monopoly is an anonymous graffiti artist. Originally from New York City, he has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 2006. Growing up in NYC with an artist mother, Monopoly considers himself a lifelong artist. Refraining from formal training for pursuing a career in street art, Monopoly has become one of the foremost urban artists. His unique style is playful, rather than the typical grim slant of street art, giving his art a relatable quality. He is famous for his use of iconic pop figures and signature depiction of the Monopoly game mascot character. By combining elements of the game’s characters with clippings from newspapers, the artist blends Pop Art with cultural and social criticism. Using urban environments, Monopoly exposes issues with bureaucratic hierarchies and the American dream.
In 2016, Swiss watch company TAG Heuer announced a collaboration with Monopoly at Miami Art Basel. He created a mural, live on the red carpet for the 2013 Justin Bieber film, “BELIEVE”. As well as selling his work to celebrities, he has also completed high-profile projects with The W Hotel, Vitamin Water, and Avicii. Unlike other graffiti artists, Monopoly will paint buildings and warehouses rather than government properties or businesses. His adoption of the board game character Mr. Monopoly as his mascot took inspiration from the stockbroker Bernie Madoff. It was a criticism of the billion-dollar bailouts and the financial collapse in 2008.
Alec Monopoly’s works are original pieces and all created in his studio in LA. This adds to the raw authenticity behind all that he does. Although he focuses on the tension surrounding the financial success of street artists, art critics praise Monopoly’s contemporary style. His work is full of political commentaries committed to telling a story. Monopoly goes beyond this in his works by creating work that represents American collective consciousness. Unlike other street artists, Monopoly’s range of surfaces is broad. He has conquered canvases, sculptures, handbags and several other mediums.
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