Malibu man involved in the multimillion-dollar sale
Nearly four decades after their creation, some largely forgotten artworks by iconic artist Andy Warhol are going up for sale this week through a Malibu art dealer.
In 1985, Warhol, a father of the Pop Art movement, was introduced to the burgeoning world of home computers. Cash strapped at the time, the famed Warhol was courted by now-defunct Commodore International, a once rival to Apple, to help launch the company’s Amiga computer. The superstar was commissioned to demonstrate the innovation of merging digital technology with visual arts.
Commodore staged a glittering event at Lincoln Center where Warhol, always an innovator and eager to experiment with new mediums, embraced the opportunity.
During a live demonstration, he created a now-famous portrait of singer Debbie Harry of the rock group Blondie. However, the artist wasn’t an expert at the groundbreaking technology of that time and Amiga’s advanced color graphics capabilities. So, a computer expert was brought in to help. Engineer Jeff Bruette lent his expertise to Warhol for the demonstration. Warhol’s digital portrait of Harry captured the public’s imagination. Harry was a cultural icon in her own right, and her collaboration with her friend, Warhol, symbolized a melding of two significant figures in the art and music worlds.
Three portraits of Harry were eventually made. They’re owned by the singer herself, the late CEO of Commodore and Bruette, who was gifted a signed diskette portrait along with other digital images. Bruette stored the old floppy disks and then transferred them to thumb drives, revealing a treasure trove of Warhol’s digital experiments.
“This is the rarest thing. I can’t think of anything that’s more unique than this right now in artwork,” said Kenneth Mitchell, a four-decade Malibu resident who is selling the artwork.
Mitchell, who has run art galleries in New York and Palm Beach in his 60-year career and had spent time with the artist years earlier, said, “Once Andy started learning how to work the computer, he fell in love with it. That’s all he wanted to do.”
For many years, these digital works were overshadowed by Warhol’s more traditional works and the physical media he is best known for, until now. Bruette has decided to part with his resurfaced Warhol treasures and enlisted Mitchell in the sale. The collection includes 10 images by Warhol on two original floppy disks, two thumb drives, the original Amiga computer and a Warhol signed Harry portrait. It’s being offered at $26 million. “There are seven pieces the public has never seen,” according to Mitchell. Two images are of Dolly Parton, and several others are self-portraits.
“The first time I met him was at the Gotham Bookstore. He didn’t have a dealer then. He had a portrait of his mother that I bought,” recalled Mitchell, who in his long career has since sold nearly 100 Warhols. “He was always so involved in something, a work of art, something. He never stopped.”
Mitchell visited the artist a few times at his studio known as “The Factory.” “He was always with a parade of people,” he noted.
The sale of Warhol’s lost digital images represents a fascinating intersection of art history, technology, and pop culture. The unique nature of these works, unlike traditional Warhol pieces, represent an early exploration of what would later become a significant trend in the art world: digital and computer-generated art. The digital works of Warhol, who embraced new ideas in art, showcased new technologies long before they became mainstream in the art world.
The sale of these lost digital images reemphasizes Warhol’s enduring influence and the timeless appeal of his work. It also serves as a reminder of the constantly evolving nature of art and the ways in which technology can transform creative expression. The works celebrate Warhol’s legacy in paving the way for greater recognition of digital art in the global art market, marking the convergence of traditional art values with modern technological advancements while opening new possibilities for how art is created, viewed, and valued in the digital age.
Mitchell said, “This is the most exciting journey I’ve ever dealt with in my career.” The art dealer who has sold Gauguins and other important works loves Warhol art and credits the artist with “opening up the art market.”
Mitchell is shopping the digital Warhols, but hopes a museum will buy the collection. “I want to keep it in this country and I want it to be seen by more persons than one,” he said.
For information on the collection or further discussion contact Kenneth Mitchell at (310) 508-3770, kennythemitch77@yahoo.com or Stephenlamm8@gmail.com.