April 02, 2021
Artist Spotlight: Beeple — His Story, the Future of NFTs, His Favorite Digital Artist, and More

Kevin speaks with Beeple, the world's most popular and successful NFT artist. “Everydays: the First 5000 Days,” a collage of images from his “Everydays” series, sold for $69,346,250 on March 11, 2021, making it the third most expensive artwork by a living artist.

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Beeple (aka Mike Winkelmann) is a graphic designer who has worked on concert visuals for Justin Bieber, One Direction, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Zedd, deadmau5, and many more. He recently made headlines when he sold a collage of his first 5,0000 "Everyday" pieces of art as an NFT for $69,346,250 — making it the third most expensive artwork by a living artist.

LINKS

NOTES

  • Where's Beeple based, and where's he been? He's in Charleston, SC, but he's from Wis-con-sin. [01:54]
  • Why does Beeple view sports and art as similar constructs? [02:56]
  • Why did Beeple choose art as a career over programming, and how did he start? [04:54]
  • Would you buy O'Reilly classic cover art as NFTs? [07:18]
  • How Beeple clips became ubiquitous in the VJ world (which was as surprising to him as anyone). [08:35]
  • What's the difference between an artist and a designer? [13:21]
  • When did Beeple really start to feel like he could make a legitimate living from his art? [14:49]
  • How was Beeple introduced to the world of NFTs and cryptocurrency? [16:09]
  • Where did Beeple sell his first NFT, and what were his early impressions of the format? [20:25]
  • Why the "everyday" pieces are perfectly made for collecting, and how Beeple justifies their value to the collectors. [23:30]
  • Imagining the possibilities: what NFT collecting might look like in the future. [29:36]
  • Who were the subjects of Beeple's earliest work, and how did his process evolve over time? [36:08]
  • What drives Beeple's more topical work? [37:59]
  • So...the Dick-Milking Factory. What's that all about? And will it incite a future Hot Pockets vs. Beeple ruling by the highest court in the land? [40:54]
  • What's next for Beeple? [43:33]
  • How can an art collector of modest means pick up a piece of Beeple's work nowadays, and how does this compare to what his art was selling for just a few months ago? [44:21]
  • At the end of the day, how does Beeple feel about copyright infringement? [47:42]
  • Other NFT artists Beeple thinks we should keep an eye on. [49:16]
  • Digital art isn't new. Only the ability to quantify and commodify it is. [50:19]
  • Parting thoughts. [52:16]
  • Enjoy the show? Please consider leaving a nice review here so others can learn about and enjoy it, too! [52:45]

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