From working on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show as an animator to now having more than 1,000 collectors of his NFTs, Bryan Brin
From working on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show as an animator to now having more than 1,000 collectors of his NFTs, Bryan Brinkman is an example of how a digital artist can thrive in ways never before possible.
Best described as a digital pop artist with an emphasis on animation, Brinkman’s fans include high-profile NFT collectors such as Pranksy, J1mmy.eth and WhaleShark. He has also been featured at Christie’s and had fractionalized art of his put up for auction at Sotheby’s.
“Prior to NFTs, I spent 15 years working in various industries such as fashion, MTV shows and animated television series. I’ve also worked a large chunk of my career on late-night TV shows like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show, which revolve a lot around humor,” Brinkman says.
“When NFTs came along, animation finally became a medium that could be quantified and collected. It immediately clicked with me. There are lots of branches you can do as an animator, but this is the only one that allows you to truly be independent and in control.”
“In its simplest form, I describe myself as a digital pop artist, but I also think mixed media is a term I use as well. I like to mix 2D and 3D as well as play around with different mechanics and forms.”
Brinkman also understands how to market his work and build community — essential ingredients for an NFT artist today.
“I think about dividing your time into thirds. Spend one-third of it making art, and spend another third working on marketing your art, whether that be making cool teasers or videos talking about your art, or maybe writing Twitter threads about how you made it. That stuff is very important. Then the final third is spending time in the community, learning from other artists, talking to other artists, just connecting in general,” Brinkman states.
“I learned from many of the artists who came before me, whether it was Sarah Zucker, Coldie, Josie Bellini, Alotta Money, Hackatao, Matt Kane and a host of other OGs out there.”
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Influences:
Brinkman draws inspiration from many styles and artists, but animation is at his core, and he studied it in college.
“Don Hertzfeldt [American animator, writer and independent filmmaker, best known for animated films World of Tomorrow and It’s Such a Beautiful Day] is a big one. He influenced me with a lot of his short films that are simply brilliant. Bill Plympton [American animator and cartoonist best known for his 1987 Academy Awards-nominated animated short Your Face] influenced me with his work ethic and how he was able to maintain an independent animation artist lifestyle for all these years. I think he’s nearly 80 years old now,” Brinkman states.
Brinkman also cites pop artist Keith Haring, an American graffiti-inspired pop artist, and NFT artist Killer Acid.
“I think Keith was able to ride the line between pop art and commercial art in a way that still kept his integrity. I also have to shout out Killer Acid, who inspired me to join the NFT space. He was a very early SuperRare artist.”
In fact, “Peace Sign Dude” by Killer Acid is still his favorite NFT in his collection.
“J1mmy.eth actually owned it, and he offered to give it to me as a gift, which was incredible. It’s now my never-sell grail gift. Pretty cool story because it’s the artist I discovered NFTs via and it’s my collector who first supported my career, so it’s my most special NFT.”
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Notable sales to date:
Hot new NFT artists to watch
Brinkman is a prolific NFT collector himself, with a reputation for spotlighting and elevating other artists:
Alimo (@alimofun): Best known for curvy post-pop imagery, highly saturated colors, vibrant hand-drawn letters and worlds inhabited by figures arranged on flat tonal surfaces.
“I think Alimo does really beautiful landscapes that are very simplified and kind of pop art. The colors he uses are very soothing. I’m a big fan of the stories he tells with surfing and snowboarding.”
Ykha Amelz (@ykhaamelz): Indonesian artist who specializes in…
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