Andy Warhol was known for his innovative artwork, but some of his most unique work had been lost until today. The Andy Warhol Museum announced today that work the Pop Art pioneer created with an Amiga computer in 1985 have been found on a floppy disc.
The discovery of the work started with artist Cory Arcangel, who watched a YouTube clip of Warhol demonstrating the computer’s art abilities for Commodore International, the museum said. Warhol recreated some of his most famous images, like the Campbell’s Soup can and Marilyn Monroe. The only one of the pieces that had actually made it to the WArhol Museum collection was one he made Blondie singer Debbie Harry.
Arcangel went to Pittsburgh to visit the museum and spoke with curator Tina Kukielski. While they did have the floppy discs, they didn’t have access to the images because they were in a format obsolete since 1994. However, they worked with Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Club, which has an extensive knowledge of obsolete computer technology. According to TIME, the club was able to pull the images off the discs, giving Warhol enthusiasts more images from the master to look at.
The images reveal that Warhol really never shied away from new technology and embraced whatever he could before his death in 1987.
“Warhol saw no limits to his art practice,” Warhol Museum director Eric Shiner said. “These computer generated images underscore his spirit of experimentation and his willingness to embrace new media.”