Beeple

Updated January 30, 2023
By cukuwotu

Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, is a pioneering digital artist and graphic designer. He has been inspiring creatives from around the world for over 10 years.

As one of the originators of the “everyday” movement, he maintains an impressive commitment to posting unique digital art via social media platforms every single day!

Christie’s has called him “A visionary digital artist at the forefront of NFTs”.

In March 2021, art history was made when he set the art world aflame when his digital artwork titled “The First 5000 Days” sold for an astonishing 69 million US Dollars at Christie’s. This marked history as being the first time that a major traditional auction house made headway into selling (non fungible token) NFTs to global buyers.

Beeple’s NFT drops have piqued the interest of major crypto and blockchain heavyweights, One examples is the Ethereum investor Tim Kang as being one of the first to get in on the action. Boasting a hefty $777,777 price tag for “The Complete MF Collection” via the Nifty Gateway platform back in December 2020; he stayed invested all year round!

In addition to working with artists like Imagine Dragons, ZEDD, Justin Bieber, Skrillex, PSY, Avicii, and Eminem, he has also provided his services to companies such as Louis Vuitton, Space X, Apple, Samsung, Nike, Pepsi, NBC, Riot Games, Activision and many other major brands.

Biography

Mike Winkelmann, known by his alias ‘Beeple’, was born in South Carolina. However, he grew up with the small-town vibe of North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. His father (Pete Winklemann) worked as an electrical engineer, and his mother (Dottie Winkelmann) worked at a senior centre.

In 2003 he graduated from Purdue University armed with a background in computer science and an ambitious spirit for artistry. After some stints as a corporate website designer, he began to master cinema 4D and eventually created show-stopping digital works that have made him one of today’s most celebrated living artists!

Mike and Jennifer Winkelmann, a loving couple with two children, share the perfect family balance. Mike works while Jen keeps the home front going as an accomplished school teacher.

His artistic pseudonym, Beeple, was inspired by a 1980s toy with a light-up nose sensitive to light and sound. In 2007, he started his digital series “Everydays” where he committed to creating new digital art every day. This series has gained him international recognition and a net worth of $50 million.

With minimal art training, the digital artist has pushed the boundaries of creativity. His 15 years in video loop and film production have landed him shows at prestigious events. Such events were Onedotzero, Prix Ars Electronica and the Sydney Biennale, to name a few. Additionally, he provides free video loops available for all artists to use, which encourages others to expand their creative talents.

Beeple is the modern artist to watch, whose creative works have been used in some of music and sports’ most significant events. From short films to Creative Commons VJ loops, Beeple’s work has taken centre stage at two Super Bowl halftime shows. With 2.5 million Instagram followers and more than 600’000 on Twitter supporting him, his artwork continues to go against traditional gallery-based trends – proving that creativity knows no bounds!

Everydays

Beeple (real name Mike Winkelmann) is known for his “Everydays” project, in which he creates a new piece of digital art every day. Over the course of 13 years, the digital artist has created over 5000 pieces of in the 2020s. Beeple’s contemporary art has taken a comedic approach to his critiques of political and social issues.

He has conjured up outrageous imagery, including cyborg Kim Jong Uns, breastfeeding presidential candidates, Mark Zuckerberg as an undead mutant creature, baby Yoda with a huge appetite for flesh and Jeff Bezos taking control of the galaxy.

In October 2020, he started selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Nifty Gateway platform. Here are digital representations of art whose ownership is verified by blockchain technology. One of Beeple’s most notable works, Crossroads, was sold for 66,666.66 US Dollars and resold for 6.6 million US Dollars in February 2021. In the same year, an auction house declared Beeple’s Everyday as “a unique work in the history of digital art”.

Beeple’s digital artwork, “Everydays: The First 5000 Days”, has gained international fame. It became the third most expensive artwork by a living artist after being sold for 69,346,250 US Dollars on March 11, 2021.

Short Films

Beeple’s 3D animated short films have tackled complex and timely social-political issues since the late 2000s.

Subprime, released in 2009 to address the 2008 financial crisis, was one of their earliest examples. It used a vibrant yet blocky animation style that offered viewers an accessible way into such complex topics.

ZERO-DAY

In 2015, he crafted a thought-provoking short film titled ZERO-DAY. It presented an exploration of the hazardous consequences of cyber warfare and all that it can take away from us – our possessions, safety and security.

The movie featured stunning visuals where each movement was perfectly synced with one element in the audio track creating a fascinating futuristic world full of robots and other mechanized parts; just when you think you have experienced something unique, more surprises come your way!

MANIFEST DESTINY

The digital Artist wrote the treatment for Manifest Destiny over four years ago. However, procrastination caused him to take much longer than anticipated. Then one day at SIGGRAPH, he struck a deal with an artist that inspired him.

They would commit to creating and completing works every single day: her Everyday art pieces and his film in 100 days.

Despite feeling unsure of why he agreed, he eventually found himself back on track as those last two weeks pushed through until he finally finished on the century mark!

Beeple’s explosive new video is a rallying cry against inequality and corruption in the modern world. It showcases troubling stats like Jeff Bezos making over 100 million dollars daily in 2018. While on the other hand, Chinese iPhone workers make less than 2 US Dollars per hour. He does so in order to expose reality beyond what sensationalized news often portrays.

Ultimately, Beeple hopes to ignite an urgent conversation about this lasting global issue that cannot be ignored any longer

TRANSPARENT MACHINES

In his short film “Transparent Machines“, Beeple explores the conflicting desire for transparency and privacy in society.

He touches on the idea that although people may be outraged by the actions of organizations like the NSA, they continue to share personal information on platforms like Facebook and Google willingly. The film delves into the complex and contradictory nature of these actions and beliefs.

VJ Loops

With a library of vibrant and abstract VJ Loops, Beeple has been providing colorful visuals for many top stars across the globe.

He’s worked with major pop icons. Some examples are One Direction, Zedd, deadmau5, Justin Bieber and more to create concert visuals that absolutely wow their audiences.

Additionally he’s helped bring two Super Bowl halftime shows to life through his extraordinary creative vision.

Human One

Beeple’s “Human One” is a dynamic, hybrid sculpture that combines physical and virtual space. The physical sculpture features a two-meter tall box with four large LED screens that display a constantly changing loop of an anonymous astronaut walking through a digital landscape.

The display is drawn randomly from a collection of one-minute videos stored on the Ethereum blockchain. In 2022, the artist updated the display to reflect the invasion of Ukraine, adding the country’s flag colors. The artwork sold for $28.9 million.

Noah Davis called it a “triumphant follow-up” to Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days”.

Awards

In 2021, Beeple was recognized by GQ magazine as the Maddox Gallery Artist of the Year.

FAQ

How old is Beeple?

Born on June 20, 1981, in Charleston, South Carolina, Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) is currently 41 years old as of 2022.

Beeple’s Net worth?

Beeple, an American graphic designer, digital artist, and animator, is known for creating humorous and often surreal multimedia works with social and political themes. With a net worth of $50 million, Beeple has made a significant impact on the world of art and design.