Alec Monopoly | Spaceman Richie

Alec Monopoly — Spaceman Richie

Alec Monopoly, born Alec Andon in New York City in 1986, is an American street artist whose signature motif — Rich Uncle Pennybags, the top-hatted mascot of the Monopoly board game, from which the artist takes his name — has become one of the most recognisable images in contemporary street art. He began painting the character on the streets of New York around the time of the 2008 financial crisis, using it as a satirical lens on wealth, greed, and financial excess.

Working in spray paint, stencil, epoxy, and collage, Monopoly renders Rich Uncle Pennybags in scenes of contemporary wealth and celebrity, rendered in a loose, drip-heavy style that draws as much on graffiti as on classic Pop Art. His work has been shown at major international art fairs including Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Basel Hong Kong, and in institutional settings including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Bangkok, and his collectors include figures across music, film, and entertainment.

Spaceman Richie takes Rich Uncle Pennybags beyond the confines of Earth — the billionaire in space being, in the current decade, not merely a cultural fantasy but an actual phenomenon, with the world's wealthiest individuals funding their own space programmes. The hand-painted vinyl sculpture format allows the work to exist in three dimensions; each sculpture is individually hand-painted by Monopoly, making it a unique object within what appears to be an edition.

Available through Creed Gallery, Ascot, for collectors across Berkshire, Surrey, and London.

Hand-painted vinyl sculpture
Artwork size: 15 x 30.5 cm
Certificate of Authenticity

Click here to view the whole collection