Alec Monopoly Talks Inspirations, Aliases & His Collaboration With Viber
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Street artist Alec Monopoly is famous for his world renown pieces and his colorful personality. Monopoly is collaborating with Viber on a worldwide search for design talent through the "My City, My Vibe" project.
We had the chance to talk about the project as well as the current state of the art world with the introduction of social media.
The Viber collaboration with Monopoly is part of the Sticky Fingers initiative, with this one being titled "My City, My Vibe."
"Sticky Fingers: "My City, My Vibe" is a global design initiative inviting artists and creative minds to create original stickers inspired by their favorite international city," according to the company.
"Artists are encouraged to submit three original designs that bring to life the vibe and personality of their favorite city."
Monopoly has worked on pieces in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Europe and Asia, according to his main site. He attributes a lot of his artistic skill from his mother who turned to the methodical approach in her art.
He has gained extensive media attention for his art, worked with The W Hotel, Madonna, Vitamin Water, Avicii and had his own Solo Exhibit in London at the Mead Carney Gallery.
He has amassed almost 300,000 followers on Instagram, where he showcases a great deal of his work.
Now, he is looking to inspire and showcase rising talent with his latest collaboration. We caught up with Monopoly on the heels of another collaboration and got a little insight on his current stance on the art world as it is today.
Check out the interview below.
What made you want to team up with Viber for "My City, My Vibe?"
I love that Viber is paying attention on a regional level, and giving artists all over the world an opportunity to have their work seen.
Getting exposure is one of the biggest challenges for up and coming artists, so I think this is an amazing project.
Why is it important to support the art world?
Without the Arts, all we'd have is Business ... and that would be no fun for anyone!
What are some of your favorite projects that you have worked on in the past?
I've had an amazing ongoing collaboration with W Hotels which has brought me to some of the most remote and exotic places in the world from Bali to Koh Sumui to Shanghai.
I also enjoyed my first clothing collaboration that was released by Forever 21 this Fall and most recently have been working with Viber to turn my art into Viber Stickers which has been a very exciting experience.
Why do you think artists create unidentified aliases?
For most artists it's a legal issue, remaining anonymous gives Street Artist's the ability to continue doing illegal artwork in the street while still building a name and brand for themselves.
How do you think the art world has changed? Has there been growth?
I think social media has played a HUGE role in expanding the modern art world. There is more interest in art than ever, and Artists are now able to reach fans and collectors directly.
What inspires or motivates you when you're creating a new piece?
I'm constantly searching for new ideas and a lot of my new work is centered around Iconography, so every time I learn about someone fascinating or meaningful, I paint them.
What are you and Viber looking to find with "My City, My Vibe?"
I think originality and usability. I'm excited to see the different ways Artists will create ways to communicate with their imagery.