Experimental artworks by Andy Warhol which were commissioned by Commodore, the creators of the Amiga computer, have been recovered from 30 year old floppy discs, reports the BBC.
The digital pieces were produced in 1985 to celebrate the launch of the Amiga 1000 computer. A painstaking three-year project has now recovered the images which were saved in an obscure data format. The images were recovered by staff and students who are members of Carnegie Mellon University’s computer club. Reverse engineering of the 80’s Amiga format helped to recover the artworks which turned out to be signed electronic facsimiles of Warhol’s most famous creations. 18 images in total were recovered, a dozen of which are signed by Andy Warhol.
Director of the Andy Warhol Museum Eric Shiner explains how Warhol remained interested in new technology throughout his life, "Warhol saw no limits to his art practice. These computer generated images underscore his spirit of experimentation and his willingness to embrace new media." The Warhol Museum filmed a documentary of the recovery process which will debut at the museum on the 10th of May.
Image credit: Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry using ProPaint on the Amiga 1000 - via the Computer History Museum
