Monopoly Man Heads SoHo Art Display Focused On Wealth

SOHO, NY – An art display in the heart of SoHo is using The Monopoly Guy to lambast wealth – though, of course, the collection is for sale.

The display features works by Alec Monopoly (yes, that’s the artist’s name, though apparently a pseudonym) at the Eden Gallery at Broome and Greene Streets that takes a look at the distribution of money

The Monopoly guy, a.k.a. Rich Uncle Pennybags, the portly character dressed in a morning suit and top hat who is the mascot for the game the aim of which is to buy property, charge rent and become ridiculously rich, is joined by other pop culture symbols of wealth including Richie Rich and Scrooge McDuck.

One corner of the spacious gallery is dominated by Scrooge McDuck reclining on a large, multicolored sack of money.

The gallery is in the center of one the most wealthy neighborhoods in the world, surrounded by exclusive stores and multi-million dollar apartments.

In one painting, a riff on the famous Beatles' album cover "Abbey Road," the Monopoly Guy, Richie Rich and Scrooge McDuck cross a street, butler in tow, as multicolored money rains down.

That piece, called “Money Road,” costs a cool $100,000.

The other works are priced in the same range. A painting of the Monopoly guy golfing with Richie Rich caddying costs $65,000.

The Eden Gallery’s director didn’t want to chat when approached at the space this week.

The preoccupation with wealth, even in cartoon form, stood out to visitors like John Henne, who was visiting the city with his family from Pittsburgh.

“This is unique and I did like it,” he said. “I would have a tough time putting those on my wall... There are too many dollar signs in it.”

But the eternal lure of lucre made a strong impression on one passerby.

Walking by Rich Uncle Pennybags in one of gallery’s windows, a teenage tourist exclaimed, “I want that! It’s the Monopoly man. That is sick.”

Lead images by Shant Shahrigian/Patch