I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol

Richard Polsky
I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol
(Other Press, November 2026)

At once propulsive and informative, an insider’s account of authentication and valuation that shows how the art world of the 1970s became the investment-driven art market of today.

In 1972, rock legend Alice Cooper received one of Andy Warhol’s classic “Little Electric Chair” paintings as a gift, unknowingly putting into motion a saga that would take fifty years to play out. Before going on tour, Cooper rolled up the unstretched sheet of red canvas, slipped it into a long cardboard mailing tube, stashed it in his garage in Scottsdale, Arizona, then promptly forgot about it. At the time, the painting retailed for $2,500. Today, if it could be proven authentic, it would be worth as much as $7 million.

Drawing on his distinguished career as an art dealer and expert authenticator, Richard Polsky brings a personal touch to this fascinating piece of art history. I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol takes the reader on a long and winding road to validate and sell Cooper’s painting. Along the way, you will discover how the authentication process works and why it matters. You will also learn about Andy Warhol, Alice Cooper and his manager, Shep Gordon, Dennis Hopper, Richard Prince, and the cross-pollination between artists and musicians.

Praise for I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol

“[Richard Polsky] weaves his personal story into the story of a business culture that has grown more venal and volatile in recent years…Art dealers have played a pivotal role in this pricey shuffle, and Mr. Polsky paints them as an entertainingly infantile, manipulative bunch…That Mr. Polsky operates at the periphery of the art world, and knows it, is an appealing aspect of I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon).” —Wall Street Journal

Richard Polsky is the author of The Art Prophets, I Bought Andy Warhol, and I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon). He has also written for a diverse group of art world publications, including Art & Auction, Art in America, The Art Economist, and currently writes for Western Art & Architecture. He lives in Sausalito, California.