Modern Finance breaks down all things bitcoin, cryptocurrency, finance hacks & tips, decentralized finance (DeFi), yield farming, NFTs, robo-investing, and more. Join entrepreneur and technology venture capitalist Kevin Rose as he interviews experts and the entrepreneurs building modern finance tools. Time Magazine calls Kevin one of the "Top 25 Most Influential People on the Web," and Bloomberg lists him as a "Top 25 Angel Investor." Kevin has appeared on the Jimmy Fallon Show, Charlie Rose Show, as well as the print covers of Businessweek and Inc. Magazine.
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episode 4: Beeple - His Story, The Future of NFTs, His Favorite Digital Artist, and More.
Beeple (@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.
SHOW 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]