Questions & answers

Coldie — frequently asked questions

Answers about Coldie, the stereoscopic-3D and kinetic artist who minted the first 3D artwork on a blockchain in 2018 — the Decentral Eyes series, auctions at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams, Front Row 3D, where to collect — plus a glossary of 3D terms: anaglyph, lenticular, parallax, wigglegram and more.

Who is Coldie?
Coldie is a stereoscopic-3D and kinetic artist based in Sacramento, California. On May 7, 2018 he minted “The Day We’ve All Been Waiting For,” the first stereoscopic artwork recorded on a blockchain, and has since created more than 180 on-chain works — most notably the Decentral Eyes portrait series. His work has been brought to auction at all three major houses: Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams.
What was the first stereoscopic 3D artwork minted on a blockchain?
“The Day We’ve All Been Waiting For,” minted by Coldie on R.A.R.E. Art Labs on May 7, 2018. It is recognized as the first stereoscopic (3D) artwork recorded on-chain, and it opens Coldie’s on-chain archive.
What is stereoscopic 3D art?
Stereoscopic art presents two slightly offset images — one for each eye — so the brain fuses them into a single picture with real depth. Coldie builds that depth with anaglyph 3D (viewed through red/blue glasses), lenticular prints, parallax animation, and VR/AR, giving a flat image genuine dimension.
What is the Decentral Eyes series?
Decentral Eyes is Coldie’s stereoscopic 3D portrait series, begun in 2018, featuring important figures of the blockchain and tech movement — including Vitalik Buterin, Satoshi Nakamoto, Edward Snowden, Warren Buffett and Snoop Dogg. Each portrait is a “decentralized” collage of 10 or more source images, rendered with 3D glasses, parallax animation, VR/AR and kinetic techniques.
How do you see the 3D effect in Coldie’s work?
It depends on the piece. Anaglyph works are viewed through red/cyan (blue/red) 3D glasses; lenticular prints shift as you move around them; parallax-animated and VR/AR works render depth on screen without glasses. Many Decentral Eyes portraits are made to be seen through 3D glasses.
Which auction houses have shown Coldie’s work?
All three major houses, and each time the house chose the 3D work. Christie’s offered “Warren Buffett — Filthy Fiat” in 2024; Sotheby’s included his stereoscopic art in the 2022 live single-owner NFT auction “Inside the World of MaxStealth,” alongside Beeple, XCOPY and Pak; and Bonhams featured “Proof of Work — Genesis” in its 2021 SuperRare “CryptOGs” sale.
What is crypto art, and why does Coldie make it?
Crypto art is artwork minted and owned on a blockchain, which gives it verifiable authenticity and a permanent, public record of ownership. Coldie learned about Bitcoin and decentralization in 2017 and began making blockchain-themed work to help document and spread the movement — treating the blockchain as a provenance feature, not a gimmick.
What is Front Row 3D?
Front Row 3D is Coldie’s archive of live-music photography shot in stereoscopic 3D with a camera of his own construction. He was the official 3D photographer of the Coachella Festival in 2009 and 2010, capturing performers including Chris Cornell, Mac Miller and DMX, and the series was exhibited as Front Row 3D at Gazelli Art House, London.
What is kinetic 3D collage, or “Touch the Art”?
Kinetic 3D collage is Coldie’s physical, hand-arranged 3D portraiture that the viewer can rearrange — magnetic pieces on a dimensional surface, guided by the mantra “touch the art.” The first kinetic portrait sold at Christie’s; current kinetic work is on view and available at Eterno Gallery, Lisbon.
What mediums does Coldie work in?
Anaglyph 3D, lenticular prints, parallax animation, VR/AR, kinetic 3D collage, archival prints, and on-chain digital editions. The through-line across every medium is depth: taking something flat and giving it dimension.
Where can you collect Coldie’s work?
On-chain 1/1s and editions are on SuperRare, OpenSea and Transient; physical kinetic 3D works are shown and available at Eterno Gallery, Lisbon; and prints are available in the Coldie store. The complete record of every release, collector and sale is public in the archive.
Where is Coldie based?
Sacramento, California.

Glossary of 3D terms

The stereoscopic and 3D vocabulary behind the work — from anaglyph and lenticular to wigglegrams and parallax.

Stereoscopy
The technique of creating the illusion of depth by presenting two slightly different images — one to each eye. First demonstrated in the 1830s, it is the basis of all 3D photography and film; Coldie calls it “a 170-year-old way of seeing.”
Stereoscopic pair
The two source images — a left-eye view and a right-eye view — that a stereoscopic artwork is built from. When the brain fuses them, the scene reads in real depth.
Anaglyph 3D
A stereoscopic method that encodes the left- and right-eye images in two colors (typically red and cyan) so matching red/blue 3D glasses separate them. Many Decentral Eyes portraits are anaglyphs, shown with 3D glasses.
Lenticular
A print technique that lays an array of tiny lenses over interlaced images, so the picture shifts, animates, or shows depth as you move around it — no glasses required.
Parallax
The apparent shift of nearer and farther objects as the viewpoint moves. Layering elements and animating that shift lets Coldie build depth on a screen without glasses.
Wigglegram
An animated image that rapidly alternates between the left- and right-eye views, producing a “wiggle” that reads as 3D without glasses. Coldie has released wigglegram editions.
Binocular disparity
The small difference between what the left and right eyes see, caused by their separation. The brain reads this disparity as depth — the perceptual basis of all stereoscopy.
Convergence
The inward angling of the eyes to fix on a single point. Stereoscopic images are composed so the eyes converge naturally, placing elements in front of or behind the picture plane.
Autostereoscopy (glasses-free 3D)
Any method that delivers a 3D effect without special eyewear — lenticular prints, parallax animation, wigglegrams, or holographic displays.
Volumetric
Describing art or capture that represents true three-dimensional volume — depth in every direction — rather than a flat image with simulated depth.
Interaxial distance
The distance between the two lenses (or eyes) capturing a stereo pair. A wider interaxial exaggerates the depth effect; a narrower one flattens it.
Picture plane
The flat surface of the artwork itself. Stereoscopic work places elements in front of it (“popping out”) or behind it (“into the window”).
Kinetic 3D collage
Coldie’s physical, rearrangeable 3D portraiture: magnetic cut-out pieces mounted at different depths that the viewer can move and re-compose — “touch the art.”
Gel transfer
A hand process that lifts a printed image into a thin, flexible film which is then layered onto a surface. Coldie uses it — often on burnt canvas — in his stereoscopic fine-art works.