Inspired by the
Unexpected:
A Conversation
with Coldie
Inspired by the
Unexpected:
A Conversation
with Coldie
Written by
Elle Bland
Interview
2023
Introduction
Before this interview, I would have looked at Coldie’s art and thought, “Everything is so strategically placed. He must have planned this piece for ages”.
I was wrong.
Broken, blow-torched art in the background, blowing his nose with a scrap piece of semi-soft paper he had on hand, Coldie was the epitome of “creative” — taking everyday objects and transforming them into something different than intended — even in the course of a one hour call.
In this interview, we take a look at his evolution — from concert photos to NFT collections, from silly mistakes to successful mints. Inventive, imaginative, and inspired by the unexpected — we learn how Coldie and his art are one and the same.
Before this interview, I would have looked at Coldie’s art and thought, “Everything is so strategically placed. He must have planned this piece for ages.”
I was wrong.
Broken, blow-torched art in the background, blowing his nose with a scrap piece of paper, Coldie was the epitome of “creative” — taking everyday objects and transforming them into something different than intended — even in the course of a one hour call.
In this interview, we take a look at his evolution — from concert photos to NFT collections, from silly mistakes to successful mints. Inventive, imaginative, and inspired by the unexpected — we learn how Coldie and his art are one and the same.
Before this interview, I would have looked at Coldie’s art and thought, “Everything is so strategically placed. He must have planned this piece for ages”.
I was wrong.
Broken, blow-torched art in the background, blowing his nose with a scrap piece of semi-soft paper he had on hand, Coldie was the epitome of “creative” — taking everyday objects and transforming them into something different than intended — even in the course of a one hour call.
In this interview, we take a look at his evolution — from concert photos to NFT collections, from silly mistakes to successful mints. Inventive, imaginative, and inspired by the unexpected — we learn how Coldie and his art are one and the same.
Elle
What is the first piece of art you remember making?
What is the first piece of art you remember making?
What is the first piece of art you remember making?
Coldie
It’s wild timing that you ask me this.
My grandma passed away about six months ago, so my family and I were going through her things. In her stack of keepsakes, I found a photo that my mom took that takes me right back to that moment.
I was four years old. My grandpa had a Macintosh computer — one of the original Macintosh cubes from ‘84. Whenever I was at their house, I would ask to play with it. My grandpa would boot it up for me, sit me down, and show me how to use Microsoft Paint.
It’s wild timing that you ask me this.
My grandma passed away about six months ago, so my family and I were going through her things. In her stack of keepsakes, I found a photo that my mom took that takes me right back to that moment.
I was four years old. My grandpa had a Macintosh computer — one of the original Macintosh cubes from ‘84. Whenever I was at their house, I would ask to play with it. My grandpa would boot it up for me, sit me down, and show me how to use Microsoft Paint.
1984 Newsweek Macintosh Introduction
1986 Australian Time Magazine Macintosh Ad
Coldie
I vividly remember seeing the blank, white screen and going crazy wondering what I could do. My little brain thought, “Well, I like graffiti!”. So, I made a brick wall as the background. I kept doodling, erasing, and doodling again. There was something satisfying about being able to make whatever I wanted without relying on pen and paper. That was the first time I felt a surge of creativity. I was completely consumed with what was in front of me. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
Six months ago, when I went to clean out my grandma's room, I found a picture of that moment — my grandpa and I, sitting at an old Macintosh computer, making art on Microsoft Paint.
Elle
So, how did you go from the kid on that Macintosh computer to making NFTs?
So, how did you go from the kid on that Macintosh computer to making NFTs?
So, how did you go from the kid on that Macintosh computer to making NFTs?
Coldie
Well, my cousin is super smart.
Like, a crazy smart robotics nerd. Went to MIT and everything. When I graduated college, he was still at MIT. I was like, "Dude, tell me about college! College is such a fun time with new experiences! What have you been doing while you’re there?” And he says, “I’m mining Bitcoin out of my dorm room. We have super fast internet.”
I didn’t know what that meant.
He’d say things like, “We can’t make a whole Bitcoin every day, but we’re getting about half of one daily.” This was 2011 or 2012 — so it wasn’t worth much, of course. Maybe enough money for some pizza and a beer. But I didn’t understand how it could be worth anything.
Years later, I’m listening to some podcast about what finance is, what money is, what fiat is — and how they’re all the same but different. I was a broke artist at this time, so I just wanted to learn some shit about saving money. Then, someone came on to talk about Bitcoin. I don’t know why, but with the way they described it, it just clicked. So, I went straight to Google.
Well, my cousin is super smart.
Like, a crazy smart robotics nerd. Went to MIT and everything. When I graduated college, he was still at MIT. I was like, "Dude, tell me about college! College is such a fun time with new experiences! What have you been doing while you’re there?” And he says, “I’m mining Bitcoin out of my dorm room. We have super fast internet.”
I didn’t know what that meant.
He’d say things like, “We can’t make a whole Bitcoin every day, but we’re getting about half of one daily.” This was 2011 or 2012 — so it wasn’t worth much, of course. Maybe enough money for some pizza and a beer. But I didn’t understand how it could be worth anything.
Years later, I’m listening to some podcast about what finance is, what money is, what fiat is — and how they’re all the same but different. I was a broke artist at this time, so I just wanted to learn some shit about saving money. Then, someone came on to talk about Bitcoin. I don’t know why, but with the way they described it, it just clicked. So, I went straight to Google.
Coldie
I typed, “Blockchain and art” in the search bar — because I know art was the only way I’d be able to get involved — and out popped a couple of projects. It was Rare Pepe, CryptoKitties, CryptoPunks, and DADA.nyc. You can tell by the names — these are people who feel free to do whatever the fuck they want. The spirit of freedom and independence is what sent me down the rabbit hole. I could tell this was a place where I could pursue any weird theme or motif I wanted to, and I would find someone out there who appreciated it.
I typed, “Blockchain and art” in the search bar — because I know art was the only way I’d be able to get involved — and out popped a couple of projects. It was Rare Pepe, CryptoKitties, CryptoPunks, and DADA.nyc. You can tell by the names — these are people who feel free to do whatever the fuck they want. The spirit of freedom and independence is what sent me down the rabbit hole. I could tell this was a place where I could pursue any weird theme or motif I wanted to, and I would find someone out there who appreciated it.
Elle
Finding people who appreciated your art and encouraged you to experiment — is that someone you struggled with before NFTs?
Finding people who appreciated your art and encouraged you to experiment — is that someone you struggled with before NFTs?
Finding people who appreciated your art and encouraged you to experiment — is that someone you struggled with before NFTs?
Coldie
It’s easy to find people willing to judge or ridicule, but in Web3, it’s also easy to find people who won’t.
To be fair, I grew up in a small town where people’s average age was 50-70 years old. Pardon the phrase, I don't think you'll take offense to it, but I call it The Menopausal Art Capital of the World.
Elle
Great name.
Great name.
Great name.
Coldie
Thank you. I've coined it. You can feel free to keep it in the interview if you want.
Thank you. I've coined it. You can feel free to keep it in the interview if you want.
Elle
I will.
I will.
I will.
Coldie
Wonderful.
So, yeah. I grew up in a tiny town in Northern California, making my stereoscopic art — which means, if you put on 3D glasses, it all pops out at you. I was learning my aesthetic style, and doing things that were experimental — but it was only for my amusement. No one else gave a shit. And it didn't matter if they did —there was nowhere to sell them anyway.
I loved it, though. I could spend months on a piece and enjoy every second of it. Sometimes they would work, sometimes they wouldn’t.
Surprisingly, the first piece I ever made came out perfect. It must have been beginner’s luck — or a sign from the universe telling me to keep going — because when I tried to make the second one, it completely fell apart.
The TL;DR is: I printed out a piece of paper, I put this gel glue on top of it, and the ink soaked into the gel. Then, I took that gel, I glued it onto a canvas, and then had to wet the paper and take off all the fibers. That way, I would be left with the ink that has been soaked into the gel.
It’s extremely tedious. If there are air bubbles or I rub too hard, the whole thing flakes away. Of course, that’s what happened. I was 30 hours in and the top 25% flaked off. I go, “Well, shit. It's gone.” And I put it in the trash can.
I left it there for a few minutes, but I couldn’t stop staring at it. I knew I could figure out a way to fix it. So, I blow-torched the part that was fucked up.
Wonderful.
So, yeah. I grew up in a tiny town in Northern California, making my stereoscopic art — which means, if you put on 3D glasses, it all pops out at you. I was learning my aesthetic style, and doing things that were experimental — but it was only for my amusement. No one else gave a shit. And it didn't matter if they did —there was nowhere to sell them anyway.
I loved it, though. I could spend months on a piece and enjoy every second of it. Sometimes they would work, sometimes they wouldn’t.
Surprisingly, the first piece I ever made came out perfect. It must have been beginner’s luck — or a sign from the universe telling me to keep going — because when I tried to make the second one, it completely fell apart.
The TL;DR is: I printed out a piece of paper, I put this gel glue on top of it, and the ink soaked into the gel. Then, I took that gel, I glued it onto a canvas, and then had to wet the paper and take off all the fibers. That way, I would be left with the ink that has been soaked into the gel.
It’s extremely tedious. If there are air bubbles or I rub too hard, the whole thing flakes away. Of course, that’s what happened. I was 30 hours in and the top 25% flaked off. I go, “Well, shit. It's gone.” And I put it in the trash can.
I left it there for a few minutes, but I couldn’t stop staring at it. I knew I could figure out a way to fix it. So, I blow-torched the part that was fucked up.
Elle
That is not what I expected you to say.
That is not what I expected you to say.
That is not what I expected you to say.
Coldie
I had never thought about burning art before that, so I'm not sure why that idea popped in my head. But what else was I going to lose?
The best part is — it worked. I put it into my local art show and it sold. I think it was about $600 bucks. Such a small world, too, because the lady who collected it turned out to be someone my mom knew. She had no idea who I was and vice versa, but I discovered that her sister and my mother had worked together.
I called her a couple of years later, once the NFTs started, and said, "Hey, lady, if you're going to donate this to the Goodwill one day, please give it to me first. I'll help you sell it." She agreed, but it’s still hers for now. She has one of the pieces that started it all.
I had never thought about burning art before that, so I'm not sure why that idea popped in my head. But what else was I going to lose?
The best part is — it worked. I put it into my local art show and it sold. I think it was about $600 bucks. Such a small world, too, because the lady who collected it turned out to be someone my mom knew. She had no idea who I was and vice versa, but I discovered that her sister and my mother had worked together.
I called her a couple of years later, once the NFTs started, and said, "Hey, lady, if you're going to donate this to the Goodwill one day, please give it to me first. I'll help you sell it." She agreed, but it’s still hers for now. She has one of the pieces that started it all.
Elle
That’s so cool.
That’s so cool.
That’s so cool.
Coldie
That was cool, but there were certainly moments that weren’t full of appreciation.
I used to do art walks in my hometown. I hung pieces in a local coffee shop — one that I still go to all the time. And all of the other artists would bring in watercolor and oil landscapes. They're beautiful, but you’ve got to be at least 55 or 60 to want to hang that shit on your wall. Since most people were that age, watercolor is what everyone got used to seeing. When they saw my burnt-up, 3D canvases, they were a bit shocked.
One woman came in, probably 65 or 70, and said, "I have to tell you, I do not like your art.” I said, “Thank you so much!”
I was being sincere. The whole point of art is to incite a feeling and emotion, and she had a strong feeling about mine. But I had nothing but love to give. I said, "Thank you so much for checking out my art, and I hope you have a blessed night." I could feel her soul quivering. She didn’t say anything after that.
Anyways, that’s what I was doing — getting into shows, hanging art up in coffee shops, and holding shit together by working in graphic design. I was also beginning to get art into national juried exhibitions. It wasn’t easy to get into those shows, and even if it was, the people who went to them were looking for a different type of art than the one I could provide. But then NFTs came around.
I started making them after my kid was in bed and all my chores were done. I called it my “trash time” — from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. That's when I was free of any creative expectations. There were no limits and no judgments — I could be weird. I could do whatever the hell I wanted. And it didn’t matter if I was in The Menopausal Art Capital of the World — I could reach people on the other side of the world 24/7. Over time, I started to reach the right people through exposure in the web3 community. These are the progressive minds that connected with my creations.
The rest is history.
That was cool, but there were certainly moments that weren’t full of appreciation.
I used to do art walks in my hometown. I hung pieces in a local coffee shop — one that I still go to all the time. And all of the other artists would bring in watercolor and oil landscapes. They're beautiful, but you’ve got to be at least 55 or 60 to want to hang that shit on your wall. Since most people were that age, watercolor is what everyone got used to seeing. When they saw my burnt-up, 3D canvases, they were a bit shocked.
One woman came in, probably 65 or 70, and said, "I have to tell you, I do not like your art.” I said, “Thank you so much!”
I was being sincere. The whole point of art is to incite a feeling and emotion, and she had a strong feeling about mine. But I had nothing but love to give. I said, "Thank you so much for checking out my art, and I hope you have a blessed night." I could feel her soul quivering. She didn’t say anything after that.
Anyways, that’s what I was doing — getting into shows, hanging art up in coffee shops, and holding shit together by working in graphic design. I was also beginning to get art into national juried exhibitions. It wasn’t easy to get into those shows, and even if it was, the people who went to them were looking for a different type of art than the one I could provide. But then NFTs came around.
I started making them after my kid was in bed and all my chores were done. I called it my “trash time” — from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. That's when I was free of any creative expectations. There were no limits and no judgments — I could be weird. I could do whatever the hell I wanted. And it didn’t matter if I was in The Menopausal Art Capital of the World — I could reach people on the other side of the world 24/7. Over time, I started to reach the right people through exposure in the web3 community. These are the progressive minds that connected with my creations.
The rest is history.
Elle
Speaking of history, some of your work shows blockchain technology in juxtaposition with historical events, specifically your piece, “Proof of Work”. Why did you want to make art about the Gold Rush?
Speaking of history, some of your work shows blockchain technology in juxtaposition with historical events, specifically your piece, “Proof of Work”. Why did you want to make art about the Gold Rush?
Coldie
It’s partly because of where I grew up.
I grew up in Northern California, so there’s Gold Rush shit everywhere. There were images of it in the classrooms, the car dealerships, the coffee shops — the Gold Rush had become synonymous with my early childhood.
Back in 2012, when I was getting into spray painting and wheatpaste art (a process of using glue-like materials to plaster paper artwork on walls), I already had an image in mind. It was a photograph by L. C. McClure from 1850: “A forty-niner peers into the slit of California’s American River”.
It’s partly because of where I grew up.
I grew up in Northern California, so there’s Gold Rush shit everywhere. There were images of it in the classrooms, the car dealerships, the coffee shops — the Gold Rush had become synonymous with my early childhood.
Back in 2012, when I was getting into spray painting and wheatpaste art (a process of using glue-like materials to plaster paper artwork on walls), I already had an image in mind. It was a photograph by L. C. McClure from 1850: “A forty-niner peers into the slit of California’s American River”.
The Original Image
Coldie
At that time, cryptocurrency had not been introduced to me, but the idea of toxicity and mining had — so, I slapped a gas mask on him and wheat-pasted it under a freeway in the drainage tunnels. The gas mask and the gold in the pan were covered in glow-in-the-dark paint. That way, they could shine forever underground.
At that time, cryptocurrency had not been introduced to me, but the idea of toxicity and mining had — so, I slapped a gas mask on him and wheat-pasted it under a freeway in the drainage tunnels. The gas mask and the gold in the pan were covered in glow-in-the-dark paint. That way, they could shine forever underground.
Coldie
Since then, the entrance to the tunnels were locked up. Homeless people started digging for gold and eating away the sides of the tunnel that were not concrete. I think it’s cool that they were looking for gold down there. But the artwork will be in a living time capsule from now on.
When I learned about crypto mining in 2018, I thought, “This is the same thing someone was doing with a pan in a river. But instead of sticking your pan in the water and sifting through dirt to find gold, you’re solving math equations with a computer to earn Bitcoin.” That’s when it clicked. I was like, "Holy shit, this is a way to merge these two disparate fascinations of mine into a single art piece."
If you look at Proof of Work, it's got three coins that were the big ones that were mineable, that was Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. And if you look at the miner, he's got piles of each next to him. Meanwhile, he’s sifting through a river of fiat bills to get his crypto.
Since then, the entrance to the tunnels were locked up. Homeless people started digging for gold and eating away the sides of the tunnel that were not concrete. I think it’s cool that they were looking for gold down there. But the artwork will be in a living time capsule from now on.
When I learned about crypto mining in 2018, I thought, “This is the same thing someone was doing with a pan in a river. But instead of sticking your pan in the water and sifting through dirt to find gold, you’re solving math equations with a computer to earn Bitcoin.” That’s when it clicked. I was like, "Holy shit, this is a way to merge these two disparate fascinations of mine into a single art piece."
If you look at Proof of Work, it's got three coins that were the big ones that were mineable, that was Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. And if you look at the miner, he's got piles of each next to him. Meanwhile, he’s sifting through a river of fiat bills to get his crypto.
“Proof of Work - Genesis”, July 29, 2018. View artwork on Super Rare
Coldie
The genesis of ‘Proof of Work” was tokenized on R.A.R.E. Art Labs before the minting on SuperRare in 2018. But, on October 30, 2019, I made the decision to burn all tokens on R.A.R.E Art Labs (because it was using old ERC-20 tokens and ERC-721 had just been created) that had not been sold — “Proof of Work” included.
The main reason I did this was to protect my early collectors. By burning all other supplies, several of the editions sold one or two pieces. These were now way more valuable. And, since “Proof of Work, 2018” did not sell any editions, burning the tokens allowed me to tokenize in the future.
The genesis of ‘Proof of Work” was tokenized on R.A.R.E. Art Labs before the minting on SuperRare in 2018. But, on October 30, 2019, I made the decision to burn all tokens on R.A.R.E Art Labs (because it was using old ERC-20 tokens and ERC-721 had just been created) that had not been sold — “Proof of Work” included.
The main reason I did this was to protect my early collectors. By burning all other supplies, several of the editions sold one or two pieces. These were now way more valuable. And, since “Proof of Work, 2018” did not sell any editions, burning the tokens allowed me to tokenize in the future.
Screenshot from R.A.R.E Art Labs report to me showing zero sales and associated hash and address information.
Coldie
Three years later, that opportunity came. Collectors had started seeking out “Proof of Work” variants, and I felt like the time was right to re-release. The only problem was, I had to find the original MP4 video file I used in 2018. I had hoped that it was on my old desktop computer, even though it had been abandoned a long time ago. It was a mess of old images. Just like a gold miner, I started digging.
I spent hours looking through hard drives, archive projects — anything I could think of that might have “Proof of Work” inside. Eventually, I noticed an external drive sitting on my shelf. I plugged it in, pushed through the mess of forgotten files, and boom.
“Proof of Work Token”
Like a prospector in the Gold Rush who scooped a gold nugget in his pan, I found the Genesis NFT. The first “Proof of Work” piece that no one had purchased three years ago — the one that preceded a successful career.
I love that piece. Not only because it signaled the start of my journey, but because it helped others start their own. Since its resurgence, “Proof of Work '' has been referenced in multiple crypto education books. It’s an analogy that people can get behind. It helps people make sense of what’s happening here.
Three years later, that opportunity came. Collectors had started seeking out “Proof of Work” variants, and I felt like the time was right to re-release. The only problem was, I had to find the original MP4 video file I used in 2018. I had hoped that it was on my old desktop computer, even though it had been abandoned a long time ago. It was a mess of old images. Just like a gold miner, I started digging.
I spent hours looking through hard drives, archive projects — anything I could think of that might have “Proof of Work” inside. Eventually, I noticed an external drive sitting on my shelf. I plugged it in, pushed through the mess of forgotten files, and boom.
“Proof of Work Token”
Like a prospector in the Gold Rush who scooped a gold nugget in his pan, I found the Genesis NFT. The first “Proof of Work” piece that no one had purchased three years ago — the one that preceded a successful career.
I love that piece. Not only because it signaled the start of my journey, but because it helped others start their own. Since its resurgence, “Proof of Work '' has been referenced in multiple crypto education books. It’s an analogy that people can get behind. It helps people make sense of what’s happening here.
Elle
Correct me if I’m wrong, but your style of work reminds me a bit of political cartoons. I can see them being used in history textbooks to help explain what the space is.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but your style of work reminds me a bit of political cartoons. I can see them being used in history textbooks to help explain what the space is.
Coldie
Definitely.
I think, with Blockchain especially, we have this unique opportunity to preserve a piece of time. And history repeats. A lot. So it's good to say, "Hey, look what happened in the past. Now, do the math — the whole thing's going to happen again."
In that sense, a lot of my work is meant to be educational. Sometimes I’ll show Proof of Work to people outside of Web3 and I’ll see their wheels turning. Once I explain the mining and the message behind it, they’ll start to say, “Oh. I kind of understand Bitcoin now.” It’s a way for people to get involved in the space and spread the word. For me, opening up that conversation is more important than selling the work.
That’s why it’s so interesting to me to be able to combine a piece from the past with an event from the present. It gives people context and helps them understand things that are going on now. There’s a lot to be learned from a 150-year-old gold miner — especially if I bring him back into the 21st century.
Definitely.
I think, with Blockchain especially, we have this unique opportunity to preserve a piece of time. And history repeats. A lot. So it's good to say, "Hey, look what happened in the past. Now, do the math — the whole thing's going to happen again."
In that sense, a lot of my work is meant to be educational. Sometimes I’ll show Proof of Work to people outside of Web3 and I’ll see their wheels turning. Once I explain the mining and the message behind it, they’ll start to say, “Oh. I kind of understand Bitcoin now.” It’s a way for people to get involved in the space and spread the word. For me, opening up that conversation is more important than selling the work.
That’s why it’s so interesting to me to be able to combine a piece from the past with an event from the present. It gives people context and helps them understand things that are going on now. There’s a lot to be learned from a 150-year-old gold miner — especially if I bring him back into the 21st century.
Elle
People like Vitalik Buterin, Andreas Antonopoulos, and Warren Buffet show up in your work as well. How do you choose which figures to represent?
People like Vitalik Buterin, Andreas Antonopoulos, and Warren Buffet show up in your work as well. How do you choose which figures to represent?
Coldie
I go through a rigorous internal study before I choose.
I always look back to people like Andy Warhol, who did public figures as portraiture, and they are personifying a face — whether it was good or bad. For example, Mao Zedong — an evil person and one of Warhol's most famous portraits.
I go through a rigorous internal study before I choose.
I always look back to people like Andy Warhol, who did public figures as portraiture, and they are personifying a face — whether it was good or bad. For example, Mao Zedong — an evil person and one of Warhol's most famous portraits.
Coldie
When I first started, Vitalik was the first historical figure that came to my mind. He had just invented Ethereum. It was fresh and hot, and I wouldn't be minting anything if it weren’t for him.
Then, I did Andreas Antonopoulos, who was on a worldwide speaking tour at the time, releasing books and spreading the word about Web3 — which I appreciated, because that is what my art was trying to do.
After that, it got a little harder.
I made these for history — and that's ego aside. I didn't make these because I wanted to be the portrait man of NFT. I made this as a serious chronology of people who shaped the space. So, I had to think about it like this, "It's on the blockchain, these things are not going away. I need to make sure we remember every angle." That’s when I picked John McAfee — crypto’s biggest personalities that was a huge part of the 2019 era of crypto pumps.
When I first started, Vitalik was the first historical figure that came to my mind. He had just invented Ethereum. It was fresh and hot, and I wouldn't be minting anything if it weren’t for him.
Then, I did Andreas Antonopoulos, who was on a worldwide speaking tour at the time, releasing books and spreading the word about Web3 — which I appreciated, because that is what my art was trying to do.
After that, it got a little harder.
I made these for history — and that's ego aside. I didn't make these because I wanted to be the portrait man of NFT. I made this as a serious chronology of people who shaped the space. So, I had to think about it like this, "It's on the blockchain, these things are not going away. I need to make sure we remember every angle." That’s when I picked John McAfee — crypto’s biggest personalities that was a huge part of the 2019 era of crypto pumps.
Coldie
You can't just have all the good guys. You have to have balance. So, I started to pick people who had a different opinion than the rest of the space, people like Warren Buffett. He was doing everything he could to slander crypto. I used that energy and transmuted it all into a humorous depiction of decentralized currency — the thing he hated most.
You can't just have all the good guys. You have to have balance. So, I started to pick people who had a different opinion than the rest of the space, people like Warren Buffett. He was doing everything he could to slander crypto. I used that energy and transmuted it all into a humorous depiction of decentralized currency — the thing he hated most.
"Warren Buffet - Decentral Eyes - Variant 02"
View artwork on Super Rare
Coldie
I put a mohawk on the guy, added all of his jokes about how awful crypto was, and I flipped the script. Like I did with the lady at the art show, I took his negativity and turned it into something positive — an educational tool.
That's the whole point — education through art. I don’t want to make 3D pictures on a screen. I want to start a conversation.
I put a mohawk on the guy, added all of his jokes about how awful crypto was, and I flipped the script. Like I did with the lady at the art show, I took his negativity and turned it into something positive — an educational tool.
That's the whole point — education through art. I don’t want to make 3D pictures on a screen. I want to start a conversation.
Elle
You mentioned “3D”. How did that idea come about? Why add a 3D element to your pieces?
You mentioned “3D”. How did that idea come about? Why add a 3D element to your pieces?
“lūmen” #0, November 21, 2022. View collection on ArtBlocks
“lūmen” #0, November 21, 2022. View collection on ArtBlocks
Coldie
It was a cornerstone and a branding point, especially early on.
For a few years, I was the only guy at all that had an association with 3D glasses. But before all of this mayhem, I started a 3D digital photography magazine — as ultra-nichey as that is.
No one ever looked at it, but who would? I didn’t care if they did either, because doing it got me photo passes to a lot of my favorite bands. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Flaming Lips, and Incubus — all the bands that I grew up with. I was going to go to their shows anyway, so I would try to get photo passes, and some of these huge bands said yes. I ended up having the only 3D photos of pretty much any major rock band. I'm rehabbing that project for blockchain, actually. I’m bringing back the Stereo3D Magazine.
It was a cornerstone and a branding point, especially early on.
For a few years, I was the only guy at all that had an association with 3D glasses. But before all of this mayhem, I started a 3D digital photography magazine — as ultra-nichey as that is.
No one ever looked at it, but who would? I didn’t care if they did either, because doing it got me photo passes to a lot of my favorite bands. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Flaming Lips, and Incubus — all the bands that I grew up with. I was going to go to their shows anyway, so I would try to get photo passes, and some of these huge bands said yes. I ended up having the only 3D photos of pretty much any major rock band. I'm rehabbing that project for blockchain, actually. I’m bringing back the Stereo3D Magazine.
Coldie
Since I’ve always loved 3D photography, I thought there must be a way to bring it into the blockchain. The first Vitalik one I made, I minted as an anaglyph — the kind of 3D that works with those old-school red and blue glasses.
I would get a ton of comments like “Damn, that’s an awesome collage.” And then I would say, “Have you seen it with 3D glasses on?” The answer was almost always no. So, I would tell them that they needed to look at it with 3D glasses to get the intended effect, and mail them glasses if they couldn’t find a pair (your local comic book shop is the best place to look). I didn’t know how to come up with a solution for that — especially since not everybody has 3D glasses lying around.
I decided I had to do animated gifts where the picture wiggled back and forth. It gave the illusion of depth, and that helped a lot. As soon as I made one of those, it sold instantly. The collectors were like, "Holy shit, what is this?"
It was the same file as before. I just took the left picture and the right picture and made them wiggle.
The next breakthrough was screen recording on my desktop. I would hold my cursor and drag it back and forth, almost like performance art, because it wasn't pre-planned. I would move it up and down, and it would do this revolving thing that worked like 3D. There were lots of sophisticated ways to do this, but I didn’t know them yet, so I worked with what I could.
That’s when I got a call from ROBNESS, a friend of mine who was an OG crypto artist (Rare Pepes) way before me. He said, "This is it. This is the breakthrough. You have done it. Homie to homie. Keep going."
Since I’ve always loved 3D photography, I thought there must be a way to bring it into the blockchain. The first Vitalik one I made, I minted as an anaglyph — the kind of 3D that works with those old-school red and blue glasses.
I would get a ton of comments like “Damn, that’s an awesome collage.” And then I would say, “Have you seen it with 3D glasses on?” The answer was almost always no. So, I would tell them that they needed to look at it with 3D glasses to get the intended effect, and mail them glasses if they couldn’t find a pair (your local comic book shop is the best place to look). I didn’t know how to come up with a solution for that — especially since not everybody has 3D glasses lying around.
I decided I had to do animated gifts where the picture wiggled back and forth. It gave the illusion of depth, and that helped a lot. As soon as I made one of those, it sold instantly. The collectors were like, "Holy shit, what is this?"
It was the same file as before. I just took the left picture and the right picture and made them wiggle.
The next breakthrough was screen recording on my desktop. I would hold my cursor and drag it back and forth, almost like performance art, because it wasn't pre-planned. I would move it up and down, and it would do this revolving thing that worked like 3D. There were lots of sophisticated ways to do this, but I didn’t know them yet, so I worked with what I could.
That’s when I got a call from ROBNESS, a friend of mine who was an OG crypto artist (Rare Pepes) way before me. He said, "This is it. This is the breakthrough. You have done it. Homie to homie. Keep going."
Coldie
He ended up buying the first two of those because he got it. And from there, I just kept learning new programs. I learned After Effects, which is the proper way to do what I was doing. And now I’m learning 3D modeling programs, VR and AR. I'm continually evolving, but just at as fast of a pace as I can go.
That reminds me, have you heard about Crypto Voxels?
He ended up buying the first two of those because he got it. And from there, I just kept learning new programs. I learned After Effects, which is the proper way to do what I was doing. And now I’m learning 3D modeling programs, VR and AR. I'm continually evolving, but just at as fast of a pace as I can go.
That reminds me, have you heard about Crypto Voxels?
Elle
I have not.
I have not.
Coldie
It's a metaverse world.
I built a Cryptovoxels gallery where I put all of the decentralized portraits in order, where you can walk through the gallery and it wraps around. I don't think anybody's ever really been to it, but it’s a timeline of all my work.
It's a metaverse world.
I built a Cryptovoxels gallery where I put all of the decentralized portraits in order, where you can walk through the gallery and it wraps around. I don't think anybody's ever really been to it, but it’s a timeline of all my work.
Elle
Tell me about the creative process. How does your art evolve from an idea to a finished product?
Tell me about the creative process. How does your art evolve from an idea to a finished product?
Coldie
My process evolves as I'm creating. I'll have a theme in mind, but being the type of artist I am, I have very loose plans. I let the process show the way.
For example, Filthy Fiat started with me burying an “if-shit-hit-the-fan” box in the backyard. I thought, “Well if the world goes to shit, I’ll need some cash.” So, I buried a fat stack of $1 bills.
About a year went by, and I was like, "I need to dig up the box and see how it's doing." I'd never buried anything before, so I wasn’t sure how well it was holding up. I also wasn’t sure where I put it.
After searching for awhile, I finally found the damn box. But when I opened it up, it was waterlogged. I did not seal this thing nearly enough. I thought I did, but water finds a way.
My process evolves as I'm creating. I'll have a theme in mind, but being the type of artist I am, I have very loose plans. I let the process show the way.
For example, Filthy Fiat started with me burying an “if-shit-hit-the-fan” box in the backyard. I thought, “Well if the world goes to shit, I’ll need some cash.” So, I buried a fat stack of $1 bills.
About a year went by, and I was like, "I need to dig up the box and see how it's doing." I'd never buried anything before, so I wasn’t sure how well it was holding up. I also wasn’t sure where I put it.
After searching for awhile, I finally found the damn box. But when I opened it up, it was waterlogged. I did not seal this thing nearly enough. I thought I did, but water finds a way.
Bag with stack of biohazard $1 bills
Coldie
It was filthy, like biohazard money. My first thought was, "Wow, I’m out a couple hundred bucks." But then I was like, "No, no, no, no. I can turn this into art." So, I started peeling it apart, I got these nasty pictures, and I made Filthy Fiat — the tale of hyperinflation.
That's the way a lot of my artworks happen. I'll have one idea in mind, but then it'll just get sidetracked, and it doesn't matter if it was the original goal or not. If I'm happy with it at the end, then it's done at a certain point. Art tends to have a mind of its own.
The only part of the creative process that I do get to plan is my decision to expand into other mediums, like virtual reality and augmented reality. I’ve always been a technology nerd, so even in 2008, when I was shooting 3D concert photos, I knew that someday we were going to figure out a way to look at them in full-color, digital 3D. That was my mantra: “Just keep shooting. For now, you can look at them with 3D glasses but, someday, technology will catch up.” And it did.
I've started doing VR artwork, and I have another thing coming out that I can't mention, but it's close to fruition. It's cooking and looking good. But that’s all that I can say.
It was filthy, like biohazard money. My first thought was, "Wow, I’m out a couple hundred bucks." But then I was like, "No, no, no, no. I can turn this into art." So, I started peeling it apart, I got these nasty pictures, and I made Filthy Fiat — the tale of hyperinflation.
That's the way a lot of my artworks happen. I'll have one idea in mind, but then it'll just get sidetracked, and it doesn't matter if it was the original goal or not. If I'm happy with it at the end, then it's done at a certain point. Art tends to have a mind of its own.
The only part of the creative process that I do get to plan is my decision to expand into other mediums, like virtual reality and augmented reality. I’ve always been a technology nerd, so even in 2008, when I was shooting 3D concert photos, I knew that someday we were going to figure out a way to look at them in full-color, digital 3D. That was my mantra: “Just keep shooting. For now, you can look at them with 3D glasses but, someday, technology will catch up.” And it did.
I've started doing VR artwork, and I have another thing coming out that I can't mention, but it's close to fruition. It's cooking and looking good. But that’s all that I can say.
Elle
Last question. If you could tell people one thing about your art, what would it be?
Last question. If you could tell people one thing about your art, what would it be?
Coldie
This is my weird, wacky take on life.
I'm a kid of the 90s. I Iove nostalgic, grungy aesthetics. That's an ongoing theme throughout my work. It’s weird layers, burnt edges, and strange faces. Early on, it didn't receive the same acceptance that milder pieces would — but that’s not why any of my artwork was made.
If my goal was to impress everyone around me, I would be stuck in a fucking bubble, never making anything of meaning at all. So, I just go for it each time. By remaining authentic and avoiding expectations, the art will manifest.
I’ll be making a piece and turning off layers in the process. Then, I’ll stop and look at the screen and think, "Holy shit, that looks cool. I'm going to save that and keep going." That happened with one of the first pieces on SuperRare. It was a Vitalik Buterin portrait, “Decentral Eyes - Vitalik Buterin - Variant 01.” I was doing the 3D glasses effect, turning off layers, and I saw this big blue pigment left over. I thought it looked cool, and who’s to say it doesn’t qualify as art just because it wasn’t the original plan?
So, I saved it as it was.
The craziest part? I ended up selling that piece to an early collector, VK Crypto, who bought it for 1.5 Ether — that was $189 at the time. About a year and a half later, he decided to sell his entire collection — said it was, “just time to go.” We had become friends, so when I noticed he had priced everything half-off, I wrote to him.
“Hey, VK, dude, why are these things so cheap? You can make double on all this stuff."
All he said was, "I want others to benefit from this art as much as I did."
He was paying it forward. I respected the shit out of that.
I decided to buy it myself. Not because I wanted to gate-keep it from anyone else, but because it was an investment. And if was going to invest to anyone, I was going to invest in me.
This is my weird, wacky take on life.
I'm a kid of the 90s. I Iove nostalgic, grungy aesthetics. That's an ongoing theme throughout my work. It’s weird layers, burnt edges, and strange faces. Early on, it didn't receive the same acceptance that milder pieces would — but that’s not why any of my artwork was made.
If my goal was to impress everyone around me, I would be stuck in a fucking bubble, never making anything of meaning at all. So, I just go for it each time. By remaining authentic and avoiding expectations, the art will manifest.
I’ll be making a piece and turning off layers in the process. Then, I’ll stop and look at the screen and think, "Holy shit, that looks cool. I'm going to save that and keep going." That happened with one of the first pieces on SuperRare. It was a Vitalik Buterin portrait, “Decentral Eyes - Vitalik Buterin - Variant 01.” I was doing the 3D glasses effect, turning off layers, and I saw this big blue pigment left over. I thought it looked cool, and who’s to say it doesn’t qualify as art just because it wasn’t the original plan?
So, I saved it as it was.
The craziest part? I ended up selling that piece to an early collector, VK Crypto, who bought it for 1.5 Ether — that was $189 at the time. About a year and a half later, he decided to sell his entire collection — said it was, “just time to go.” We had become friends, so when I noticed he had priced everything half-off, I wrote to him.
“Hey, VK, dude, why are these things so cheap? You can make double on all this stuff."
All he said was, "I want others to benefit from this art as much as I did."
He was paying it forward. I respected the shit out of that.
I decided to buy it myself. Not because I wanted to gate-keep it from anyone else, but because it was an investment. And if was going to invest to anyone, I was going to invest in me.
Coldie
I am the only thing that I know will keep progressing — because I know I'm never going to stop. I love making art. If NFTs vanished, I would still be making physical art. The way I see it, I find personal value in the art I create. That’s why I feel so fortunate to be in this space.
I took a calculated risk in being here. No one bought anything for years. But the safe track is not always the most rewarding track. Sometimes, you need to trust your intuition — you need to go where you feel you should go. Not where everyone thinks you should be.
That’s the way I’ve been living, and I welcome everyone to join my ride.
I am the only thing that I know will keep progressing — because I know I'm never going to stop. I love making art. If NFTs vanished, I would still be making physical art. The way I see it, I find personal value in the art I create. That’s why I feel so fortunate to be in this space.
I took a calculated risk in being here. No one bought anything for years. But the safe track is not always the most rewarding track. Sometimes, you need to trust your intuition — you need to go where you feel you should go. Not where everyone thinks you should be.
That’s the way I’ve been living, and I welcome everyone to join my ride.
Elle
Thank you, Coldie.
Thank you, Coldie.
Thank you, Coldie.
Coldie
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023
About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023
About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023
About
Welcome to Subject Matter, a publication from Layer, where art and purpose intersect.
Art is a reflection of the human experience — a medium through which we explore our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. But in the fast-paced world of social media and NFT marketplaces, it's easy to forget the value of art beyond it’s aesthetic appeal. Subject Matter aims to remind us.
Stay updated
© Layer, Inc
2023