In 1985, Andy Warhol created a rare digital portrait of Blondie’s lead singer, Debbie Harry, using a Commodore Amiga computer. This unique artwork, offered for sale by engineer Jeff Bruette, comes with a $26 million USD asking price and includes Warhol-signed floppy disks, digital images, and the original Amiga computer used. Jeff Bruette, who worked closely with Warhol, trained him on the Amiga’s graphics software.
During a public event at Lincoln Center, Warhol created the iconic portrait of Debbie Harry, documented in her 2019 memoir, Face It: Debbie Harry. Bruette’s collection also features 150 photographs from that day, captured by Edward Judice as reported by Artnet.
Art dealer Kenneth Mitchell, who knew Warhol personally, affirmed the significance of these items. Warhol’s fascination with computer art allowed for quicker and reversible creative processes. The market for Warhol’s digital works saw success in 2021 when the Andy Warhol Foundation sold five computer drawings as NFTs for $3.3 million USD.
Despite the Warhol authentication board’s initial reluctance to recognize the signed diskette, the provenance and materials strengthen its authenticity. Jeff Bruette’s collection offers a rare glimpse into Warhol’s pioneering intersection of art and technology in the 1980s.
