A Review of Pop Artist Michael Albert

Michael Albert, born on October 14, 1966, is the Andy Warhol of 21st century pop art. An environmentalist, Albert believes in recycling products by using them to produce art. A post-modernist and businessman, Albert examines the way societies and cultures are shaped by the power of economic forces, such as advertising and mass media.
He analyzes this trend through his artistic technique which is defined by collages, cryptic symbolism, cubism, and verbal expression, all of which are made using everyday goods.

In The Victim, Albert exemplifies how citizens are "victims" of advertisements of big name brands which drive them to consume and allow their lives to revolve around the consumption of such products. The Victim portrays Albert, still a college student at NYU, sitting at his desk and drawing a portrait of his dorm which is cluttered with popular products including, but not limited to, Kleenex, Planters Cocktail, Pepsi, Crayola Markers, Uncle Ben's Rice, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Head and Shoulders, Lee, Tide, Crest, and Reynolds Wrap.

Verbal messages with letters taken from cereal boxes, candy bars, or other fun famous product characterize most of Albert's work. Such messages include inspirational life messages on The Last Breakfast (2000) which is inspired by the Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper. The messages in The Last Breakfast represent what Jesus would have said to his disciples at the last supper before his crucifixion. "Live each day as if it were your last Stay quiet Be careful Let live Do the right thing Death is not the end" are just some of the message written on this piece. In this piece there are also twelve disciples representing the twelve disciples in the Last Supper and Michael's version of Jesus- the Sir Real Lime Man who is depicted with one blue eye and a face made of lime detached from his black hat and suit. The twelve disciples in The Last Breakfast represent breakfast characters from large breakfast companies including, but not limited to, Quaker Oats, Toucan Sam from Kellogg's Froot Loops, and General Mills' Lucky Charms leprechaun.