Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1541487
Susan Davidson Art historian, curator (Menil, Guggenheim); co-curator, 1997-1999 international Rauschenberg retrospective organized by the Guggenheim It was a perfect February day [1998] in Houston — cold and breezy, but full of One of the touchstones of The Menil Collection, Robert Rauschenberg is highlighted this season in a rare look at his rediscovered fabric works, "Robert Rauschenberg: Fabric Works of the 1970s" (through March 1, 2026). Aligned with this exhibition and the occasion of the artist's 100th birthday, PaperCity taps five comrades who reflect upon the late Port Arthur-born artist. As told to Catherine D. Anspon. Houston Ballet's New Principal: The Remarkable Two-Decade Élevé of Dancer Harper Watters sunshine. The city's annual trail ride had paraded down Memorial Drive the day before, signaling the start of the Livestock Show and Rodeo and coincidentally the debut of a four-venue art exhibition featuring Robert Rauschenberg. Co-curator Walter Hopps, David White (Bob's curator), and I were putting the finishing touches on the installation, all looking forward to that evening's opening and afterparty at the Bayou Club. We separated for lunch. When I returned to The Menil Collection, the show's principal venue, I noticed a large truck with an even larger horse trailer parked along the Branard Street entrance. I found it hard to fathom why cowboys would be interested in an early peek at Bob's remarkable oeuvre, despite this being a homecoming for Texas' most celebrated artist. To my astonishment, the Harris County sheriff was brandishing a court order, ready to seize valuable artwork belonging to the "collection of the artist." Apparently, someone had a legal dispute with Bob that had led to a summary judgment — Texas being one of the few states then lacking an anti-seizure law protecting art on view in public spaces. With a determined swagger and ready to begin yanking works off the museum's walls, the sheriff marched around the galleries, tallying up the value of the confiscated art needed to match his random appraisals. Meanwhile, the museum staff was frantically trying to thwart such an invasive act or, at the minimum, postpone it so that the private viewing could proceed uninterrupted. After what seemed like my 30th attempt at trying to reach Bob, he finally picked up the phone, casually inquiring "What's up, sweet?"— one of his favorite endearments. I struggled to remain calm while explaining the radical situation unfolding and impress upon him the need to return to the museum immediately. He listened, and after a characteristic pregnant pause said: "I'm at Neiman's, shopping. I need a new outfit for tonight's party." And, when he showed up at the Bayou Club, customarily late, but bearing his infectious smile, he grabbed a Jack Daniels and headed directly to the dance floor. Quintessential Bob … Unfazed, well-dressed, and ready to party! Neal Manne Partner, Susman Godfrey LLP I represented Mr. Rauschenberg in a lawsuit in 1998. The first thing I did was get a judge to order that numerous of his most important paintings be returned to a retrospective at the Menil, from which they had been hauled away in a horse trailer by some overzealous constable deputies who had seized them because there was a default judgment against Mr. Rauschenberg in the lawsuit. Robert Rauschenberg with Stripper, 1962, in his Broadway studio, NYC, circa 1962. 72 A Rauschenberg Scrapbook ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG FOUNDATION ARCHIVES, NEW YORK (Continued)