“Everydays: The First 5000 Days” is a digital artwork created by the artist Beeple. The artwork is a collage of digital images created over a span of 5,000 days. It gained significant attention and made history when it was sold as an NFT (non-fungible token) for $69.3 million at a Christie’s auction in March 2021.
Beeple’s real name is Mike Winkelmann. Michael Joseph Winkelmann, born 20 June 1981 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S., is an American digital artist and graphic designer. He is a graduate of the University of Utah, where he studied computer science and fine arts. Winkelmann is a co-founder of the NFT platform Nifty Gateway and currently lives and works in New York City.
Beeple started his “Everydays” project in 2007. The concept behind the project was to create and publish a new digital artwork every day, regardless of the circumstances (like his wedding day and the birth of his children) or his creative state. Each artwork was created as part of his daily routine, reflecting his artistic evolution over time. It’s a visual representation of his commitment to creating art consistently over an extended period. His project was inspired by Tom Judd, who did a drawing every day for a year.
The artwork is a mosaic of thousands of individual images that Beeple created as part of the ritual of his daily project. Each image represents a snapshot of his creative journey, showcasing a wide range of styles, themes, and subjects. The images include abstract compositions, social and political commentary, pop culture references, and explorations of technology and society.
These artworks were compiled into a single collage, creating a visual narrative of his artistic journey over the 5,000 days. The collage exists as a digital JPEG image file. The actual dimensions of the artwork are 21,069 x 21,069 pixels (316,939,910 bytes).
The sale of “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” marked a significant moment in the NFT art world, not only for its historic price but also for the recognition of digital art’s value and the transformative potential of NFTs. The artwork encapsulates Beeple’s dedication to creativity and his innovative use of digital platforms to share his art with the world.
