The date: July 23, 1985. The place: the Lincoln Center in Manhattan. For the first presentation of its latest computer model, the now-defunct manufacturer Commodore had arranged something very special: a stage show with an orchestra, where pop art icon Andy Warhol, who had recently become the brand ambassador, was to showcase the graphic capabilities of the new technology live before an audience.
See also: Andy Warhol: The Pope of Pop
He did so with the support of Debbie Harry, frontwoman of the new wave band Blondie, with whom he had been close friends since the 1970s, sharing a passion for blending art and music. Warhol asked Harry to pose on the stage of the Lincoln Center for a portrait, which he would later edit using the graphics program on the computer that would eventually be known as the Amiga 1000.
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This live performance was not the first time Andy Warhol had created a portrait of Debbie Harry. After featuring her on the cover of his magazine Interview in 1979, the year she and her band scored their biggest hit with Heart of Glass, Warhol painted two iconic silkscreen portraits of her in 1980—one in yellow and one in pink. These were based on photos he took during an hour-long session with Harry. Although not originally intended for this purpose, the idea of using these portraits for an album cover was considered at the time, but it was only realized in 2014 for Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux.
See also: Andy Warhol and the Stolen Athletes
But back to 1985: before the stage show at Lincoln Center, a significant challenge had to be addressed—Warhol's complete lack of knowledge about operating the computer and its graphics software. Commodore sent their digital technician, Jeff Bruette, to Warhol's studio in Union Square. After a few lessons, the pop artist managed to get the hang of it and was ready for the official launch of the Amiga 1000.
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The performance (a video of which can be found on YouTube) by Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry was a success, and the singer recalls in her autobiography Face It that two prints of her portrait were made, one of which she received. For a long time, the whereabouts of the other print were unknown until the proud owner recently came forward: Jeff Bruette, the digital technician who had assisted Warhol with the Amiga 1000, had kept the portrait in his home in Delaware for nearly 40 years.
Now, he wishes to sell it, along with a disc signed by Andy Warhol featuring ten other images created on the Amiga 1000. "Parting with this collection gives me the chance to find it the right home. And, to be honest, it might make retirement a bit more enjoyable," Bruette told Page Six.
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The details of the sale are not yet clear, but it is likely to be a private sale rather than an auction. The expected price is estimated to be around $26 million.
