Although controversial in the art world, Alec Monopoly remains one of my favorite artists. I love his satirical street style. I recently commissioned a piece by him and can’t wait until it’s finished. While some may not take him seriously, there’s no denying his success. Alec was the seventh most-searched artist in Arnet’s Price Database last year and has reached global fame.
Alec is popular amongst celebrities with clientele like Miley Cyrus and Snoop Dogg. He once painted a designer handbag for Khloe Kardashian. He made headlines for painting Oscar-winning actor, Adrien Brody’s vintage Rolls Royce. It sold for $300,000.
About Alec Monopoly
Graffiti artist who goes by the alias “Alec Monopoly” is originally from New York City. He has worked in various urban environments including Miami, Los Angeles, Europe, and Asia. He grew up around art since his mother was a classically trained painter. Even before the pandemic, Alec was known to cover his face to hide his identity using a medical mask or his hand.
Although Alec is a graffiti artist, he avoids vandalism. He refrains from defacing government properties or businesses. Instead, he sticks to abandoned buildings and warehouses.
You can distinguish Alec’s work by various iconic pop culture characters depicted in it. Mr. Monopoly from the board game has become his mascot. It was inspired by stockbroker Bernie Madoff. It aims to criticize the billion-dollar bailouts and deregulation of major banks. Other notable characters he often includes in his work are Scrooge Duck and Richie Rich. The main themes in his artwork are success, happiness, and prosperity.
Alec Monopoly’s Artwork
This piece is called Park Place from Alec’s first solo show in LA. Alec made headlines when he listed this piece for $3 million in Monopoly money. Typically, Alec’s artwork sells anywhere between $20,000-$500,000.
Above is a piece from his Beverly Hills hotel collection entitled Monopoly and Richie on top of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Alec collaborated with the iconic hotel for their first-ever on-site art installation. This art collection included skateboard decks. It also included large-format sculptures of his famous cartoon characters.
Collaborations with the Fashion World
It is common for Alec to do collaborations with high-end brands and well-known names in the fashion industry. Some brands he has collaborated include Tag Heuer and Philip Plein. The art piece above is a from a collaboration he did with renowned fashion photographer, Helmut Newton.
This piece is also part of Alec’s collaboration with Helmut Newton entitled Wings Over Bowie. Alec has created art pieces using portraits of other large personalities like James Bond, Madonna, and El Chapo. They are featured in his signature “ICONS” Series.
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous
This piece features Mr. Monopoly and Scrooge Duck. The background is filled with designer brands in graffiti. This really speaks to his upscale clientele. I love the irony of mixing designer labels with street art.
I like this piece entitled Money Team Take Over Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc. It features all of Alec’s main characters along with Mickey Mouse and the Pink Panther. It truly showcases the lifestyles of the rich and famous complete with a yacht, helicopter, and luxury hotel.
I hope you enjoyed exploring Alec Monopoly’s artwork with me. I treasure his fun and upbeat approach to street art. It’s edgy and colorful. Alec’s popularity doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Love him or hate him — he might just be the modern-day Andy Warhol.
Want to see more art? Check out this post on my favorite pieces from Art Basel 2019 or check out another one of my favorite artists, Adam Collier.
Warmly,
Megan