A theft of Andy Warhol art in Los Angeles has also stolen a chance to see the iconic artist’s work at Shoreline Community College.
The show scheduled for Oct. 26-30 at SCC was to have included 11 portraits by Warhol, 10 of famous athletes from the ‘70s, and one of the men who commissioned and owned the works, Richard Weisman of Seattle. In an unusual coincidence, the art stolen Sept. 11 in California was also owned by Weisman, taken from a home he owns in Los Angeles. Not only was the owner the same, the art was same, too.
Perhaps the best-known name in pop art, Warhol often created more than one original of the same work. In this case, the series included multiple sets of silkscreen portraits including Muhammad Ali, Chris Evert, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dorothy Hamill and former football star turned “Trial of the Century” defendant O.J. Simpson. A media report from 1988 indicates that the September theft in Los Angeles is not the first for the collection, saying 18 were reported missing that year from a New York warehouse. Most were recovered by Weisman and family members, according to the report.
Weisman had insured the set in Los Angeles for $25 million and in 2007, he put up for sale a complete set of “The Athletes” for $28 million through Martin Summers Fine Art Ltd., according to Mark Durney of www.arttheftcentral.blogspot.com. An unidentified person has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the return to the works stolen in Los Angeles.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
