Dozens of lost Warhol artworks discovered on Amiga floppy disks from the 1980s

Original works by the pop artist were found on group of old floppy disks



They feature Warhol's experiments with computer art from the mid-1980s



He had been commissioned by Commodore to promote the Amiga 1000

Video exists of Warhol creating the art, though actual images were lost

But researchers eventually tracked the disks down three decades later



Dozens of original artworks by Andy Warhol have been discovered on decaying floppy disks.

The artworks were commissioned in 1985 by pioneering home computer company Commodore, who wanted Warhol to demonstrate the graphic capabilities of its new Amiga 1000 as it went head to head with Apple's popular Macintosh series.

Although video footage exists of the artist creating the images alongside singer Debbie Harry at the launch of the Amiga 1000, the artworks themselves were thought lost until researchers tracked down the obsolete disks within The Warhol Archive and hired a team of experts to extract the contents.

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Found: One of recently discovered electronic artworks created by Andy Warhol. Created as long ago as 1985 using an Amiga computer, the works were thought to have been lost at some point in subsequent decades

Looking back: One of the files features an attempt at a full reworking of one of Warhol's most famous artworks - the iconic '32 Campbell's Soup Cans' series from 1962

The files revealed dozens of Warhol's digital originals, ranging from abandoned doodles, to an adapted version of Sandro Botticelli's Birth Of Venus, and even full reworkings of his own most famous artworks - including the iconic Campbell's soup cans.

Another of the artworks shows a sketch of Debbie Harry, which was almost certainly created during the Amiga 1000 launch.

The hunt for the floppy disks began when the artist Cory Arcangel - a self-described Warhol fanatic and 'lifelong computer nerd' - stumbled on a YouTube video of the Amiga 1000 launch.





Stunning: The files revealed dozens of Warhol's digital originals, ranging from abandoned doodles, to an adapted version of Sandro Botticelli's Birth Of Venus (pictured)

Technology: The artworks were commissioned in 1985 by Commodore, who wanted Warhol to demonstrate the graphic capabilities of its new Amiga 1000. This is the actual computer and kit Warhol used to do so

After discussing the footage with figures in the U.S. art scene, Arcangel was introduced to The Andy Warhol Museum's chief archivist Matt Wrbican, who was able to track the floppy disks down.

Describing the artworks, Arcangel said: 'In the images, we see a mature artist who had spent about 50 years developing a specific hand to eye coordination now suddenly grappling with the bizarre new sensation of a mouse in his palm held several inches from the screen.'

'It had to be enormously frustrating, but it also marked a huge transformation in our culture: the dawn of the era of affordable home computing.'

'We can only wonder how he would explore and exploit the technologies that are so ubiquitous today.'

Luck: The hunt for the floppy disks began when the artist Cory Arcangel (right) - a self-described Warhol fanatic and 'lifelong computer nerd' - stumbled on a YouTube video of the artist (left) during the Amiga 1000 launch

Artist: Works by Andy Warhol, who died 1987, are among the most collected in the world, with the record price paid for one of his paintings topping $105million

Original: Warhol attempted to recreate his famous Campbell's soup can series (pictured) on the computer

A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol's art encompassed many forms of media, including hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film, and music

The efforts to retrieve the images from the obsolete discs were captured on film and the documentary will be shown as Trapped: Andy Warhol's Amiga Experiments in Pittsburgh next month.



It will then be available to view online at Nowseethis.org from May 12.

Works by Warhol, who died 1987, are among the most collected in the world, with the record price paid for one of his paintings topping $105million.