Alec Monopoly

Alec Andon, professionally known as Alec Monopoly, is a street artist originally from New York City. His signature is covering his face with his hand or using a medical face mask to hide his facial identity. His claim to fame is the use of the Parker Brothers Monopoly character “Mr.Monopoly” from the Hasbro brand board game. They fully support his use of their image. The artist has also worked in the urban environments of Miami, Los Angeles, Europe, Mexico and throughout Asia using varied materials (including stencils, spray paint, epoxies, varnishes and newspapers) to depict various iconic pop culture characters. He also is a brand ambassador with Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer and created a mural live, on red carpet for the 2013 film, Justin Bieber's Believe. Monopoly's work has been purchased by Philipp Plein, Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogen, Adrien Brody and Iggy Azalea.

Monopoly grew up in New York and moved to Los Angeles in 2006. He found working there was easier because of the many billboards in the city, and because of New York City's more discerning art world.

Monopoly is best known for his tuxedoed and top-hatted graffiti character of Monopoly Man, an idea originally inspired by the stockbroker Bernie Madoff. According to John Wellington Ennis writing for the Huffington Post, "In an era of billion dollar bailouts for banks that already own the country and moguls decrying regulation as un-American, the re-contextualization of the childhood symbol of success and wealth almost needed no explanation." Monopoly also pastes up images of Jack Nicholson.

Although graffiti continues to be conveyed as a crime, in his feature in Juxtapoz Magazine, the artist discussed his best efforts to avoid the vandalism aspect of the street art world:

"I stay away from mailboxes, highways, freeways, and basically any federal and government property. I like warehouses and abandoned buildings. For example I would never hit a coffee shop like the one we’re in: they [the owners] are trying to make it just like I am. I try to be as positive as I can about what I put out there and I try to do it with imagery everyone can identify with. Most people walking by my stuff are not graffiti people or art people, so figuring out a way that everyone can identify with my work is important."

In November 2010 he had his first solo gallery show in New York. In December 2010, he took part in an exhibition at the Mondrian Hotel as part of Art Basel Miami Beach. In 2013, he hosted a yacht party at Art Basel Miami Beach, sponsored by Samsung.

• Pay 2 Play: Democracy's High Stakes, 2014 documentary film [1]