Credit: Michael Albert 1999

When you were young, parents warned against playing with your food, but how about playing with your cereal box? Michael Albert's obsession with deconstructing brand labels, cereal and detergent boxes in the name of art, conveniently dubbed Cerealism, is inspiring.

Albert, a NY modern pop art collagist, discovered his niche in cerealism in 1996 through his refusal to dispose of an empty box of Frosted Flakes.  Instead, he took a pair of scissors, cut the box into pieces and titled it Portrait of an American Classic.

After seven years of drawing, Albert discovered a signature art form and subsequently named his "eureka" moment, Cerealism (a series of collages made from cereal boxes) which is currently on display at the Matted LIC gallery in Long Island City until December 31st.

The underlying theme behind Albert's Cerealist art seems to focus more on creating a historical snap shot of American life.  It provides a homey feeling upon viewing with its intriguing ability to bring you back to breakfast during your childhood, where you may have sat at the table admiring the box and the cereal mascot as though it were a work of art.

Albert brilliantly has isolated that moment of your childhood where everything was bright, fresh and new and solidified its iconic impact through a series of collages.

Although the work of art appears to be simple, there's a complexity evident in his art once it is looked at from an abstract perspective.  At first glance, it's just a cereal box cut into shapes but with closer inspection, it isn't a cereal box at all, but a bit of history analyzed and deconstructed.

Albert's collages includes "Ritz Crackers, Lipton Tea, Coca Cola & Diet Coke, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and Stove Top Stuffing."  His art is currently being exhibited at the Matted LIC gallery located at 46-36 Vernon Blvd LIC, NY. For hours of operation and other information please call 718-786-8660 or email mattedlic@gmail.com