“Art is what you can get away with.” – Andy Warhol
In Warhol’s case, that meant doing what he damn well pleased.
Like that time he filmed a guy sleeping for six hours.
Or all those times he convinced wealthy patrons to commission original portraits.
Those personal canvases are now up for sale, very briefly, at Christie’s Warhol-packed “American Pastimes: Sports & Politics” sale, running now through September 11th.
The online-only auction presents a series of the pop artist’s Polaroids, prints and drawings from the late ’70s, most depicting power players from the worlds of sports and politics.
It’s a wide-ranging group: Muhammad Ali, Ronald Reagan, Sylvester Stallone, Andre the Giant and Edward Kennedy all share Warhol’s gaze, along with some of Warhol’s more overt political statements.
Some faves:
- A screenprint of Muhammad Ali’s fist
- Pics of the pre-election, pre-malaise Jimmy Carter
- A young, flexing Arnold Schwarzenegger
Opening bids start at $1,000 — a surprisingly affordable starting point to own Andy’s less-seen work.
Call it the art of the steal.
Photos: Christie’s Images Ltd. 2014
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