Beeple on How His Art Reflects a Changing America

As a disruptive new administration arrives in Washington with pledges to hit the fast-forward button on Mars, AI, and crypto while simultaneously rolling back the clock on progressivism, it can be hard to orient oneself in the present historical moment. The scope of the changes underway in our society seem both overwhelming and nebulous; the precise contours of these changes are slippery to grasp as well.

Fortunately, there’s a shortcut to catching up on the nature of American life in 2025: you can just look at Beeple. And I mean really, truly look at Beeple, both the artist and his work, and do so with refreshed eyes.

Because the paradox of the artist born Mike Winkelmann is that he is both incredibly famous—as the avatar of the pandemic crypto craze whose $69.3 million auction at Christie’s served as the opening bell for the NFT bull market—and at the same time vastly under-appreciated when it comes to his real art-historical and cultural significance. 

So what are the real insights of Beeple’s art, how does he think the art world needs to evolve to catch up with contemporary audiences, and how is he trying to drive this transformation from his futuristic 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina?

This episode is supported by Digital Original.

About Digital Original

Digital Original is an art tech software solution designed exclusively for galleries. It enables them to create blockchain-secured digital counterparts of physical artworks equal in value and price to the original. 

With Digital Original, galleries can confidently enter the digital market, offering collectors an exclusive right to own digital art in a secure, speculator-proof format.