In 1972, rock star Alice Cooper received an Andy Warhol painting as a birthday gift. Little Electric Chair eventually disappeared into storage before resurfacing decades later.
In this episode of TheCollector, art dealer and authenticator Richard Polsky tells the extraordinary decades-long journey of one painting that inspired his new book, I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol. He also discusses what it takes to authenticate a work of art and how the market has changed over the course of his career.
It was like going down a rabbit hole. I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol is about that journey to authenticate and sell the painting. But I also wanted to show how the art world has transitioned—and just how off the wall it’s become.
Authenticating Andy Warhol’s Little Electric Chair
Andy Warhol’s Little Electric Chair belongs to his Death and Disaster series, which drew on images of accidents, violence, and death from newspapers and other mass media. Warhol began the series in the early sixties. He turned images of tragedy into some of his most recognizable Pop Art works.
In 1972, Alice Cooper’s girlfriend, Cindy Lang, purchased the painting for $2,500. She gave it to the rock star as a birthday present. The painting eventually ended up in storage, where it remained for decades. When it was rediscovered in a Scottsdale, Arizona, garage more than 40 years later, its history raised an important question: was it now worth millions? That question brought the painting to Richard Polsky, an art dealer and authenticator who has worked with Warhol’s art for decades.
I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol by Richard Polsky
In his newest book, I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol, Polsky tells the full story of Little Electric Chair, from its acquisition by Alice Cooper to its disappearance, rediscovery, and authentication more than four decades later.
The book is the third in Polsky’s series of memoirs about his career in the art market. I Bought Andy Warhol and I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) also draw on his experience working with Warhol’s art. Now, I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol offers a firsthand look at the changing art market, the challenges of authentication, and Polsky’s decades-long relationship with Warhol’s work.
Published by Other Press on November 3, 2026, I Sold Alice Cooper’s Andy Warhol is now available to purchase.
