Andy Warhol's Digital Art: The Rediscovery of a Debbie Harry Portrait

A long-lost portrait of Blondie singer Debbie Harry by the iconic artist Andy Warhol has resurfaced in rural Delaware, along with a signed disk containing ten digital images created by Warhol. The rare artwork, made in 1985 on an early Amiga 1000 home computer during a promotional event for the now-defunct tech company Commodore at New York's Lincoln Center, features Warhol live-painting Harry's portrait while technicians in lab coats programmed his distinctive color palette into the computer. In her 2019 memoir Face It, Harry recalled the event, highlighting her playful interaction with Warhol and the crew, which added to the live creation's charm. The portrait, one of only two known copies, had been privately displayed for nearly 40 years in the home of Jeff Bruette, Commodore's digital technician who taught Warhol to use the computer. Bruette is now planning a private sale of the portrait and the digital disk, which also includes additional digital images by Warhol, such as a Campbell's soup can, flowers, and a rendition of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. He described working with Warhol as a life-changing experience and noted that the artwork has fascinated visitors to his home. Though the sale price remains undisclosed, experts speculate that the portrait could sell for millions, especially given the recent rise in interest in NFTs and digital art. Despite Warhol's intention to widely distribute these digital artworks, they were never released, making them particularly valuable to collectors and fans.