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For a lot of people, social media is the scourge of the Digital Age. For artist and technologist Mike Bodge, it’s where he finds inspiration.
“I have an IV drip of the internet into my arm at all times,” he says, laughing. “The internet has gotten very serious over the last couple years, so a lot of my work is focused on bringing some of that joy back.”
Bodge, who lives in Northeast Portland, has capitalized on some of the most viral moments online, thanks in large part to the sheer amount of time he spends staring at screens. His “Straight Outta Somewhere” campaign in 2015—a meme where users can replace the word “Compton” with their own hometown—caught the eyes of Snoop Dogg and Barack Obama. And remember fidget spinners? Bodge created a virtual one that racked up over 70 millions spins within two weeks.
Bodge, 38, has worked with companies like Google, Instagram, Verizon and the American Civil Liberties Union on projects all reflecting his personal style, which he describes as, “If you were in 1985 and were like, ‘Ooh, what does the future look like?’” Once a computer science major, Bodge dropped out to go to art school, and his work reflects that: Everything he touches with a mouse has splashes of neon, while also being somewhat apocalyptic and sci-fi.
“I specialize in the sticky, pop culture kind of things that speak to the moment,” he said. “Brands come to me to figure out how to do cool things that would get attention.”
More recently, Bodge has adapted his work to the coronavirus era. His website Do Not Touch Your Face uses artificial intelligence to greet people with a stern “No!” anytime their hands hover near their head. He also had his hand in the making of the website Nurses Are Heroes, where quarantined loved ones can virtually shower red and blue ticker tape and create sharable GIFs to thank the nurses in their lives.
“It was an honor to do that work to celebrate the frontline workers, especially in a hard-hit city like New York,” Bodge says. “As a creative, it’s hard to know what you should be doing right now because you don’t want to take space unless it will be truly helpful.”
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