By Ken Stickney

kenstickney@panews.com

An original Robert Rauschenberg piece, “Barely There,” held in private hands for more than a half-century, was displayed publicly for the first time Friday at the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur.

Now owned by Tony Webber, CEO of Southwest Museum Services of Houston, the 27-by-36 inch combine painting was probably created in Rauschenberg’s earlier years in New York City, perhaps between 1958 and 1962.

Webber said the painting, which incorporates objects, reflects that art technique associated with Rauschenberg, who was born and reared in Port Arthur and graduated Port Arthur High before he attended the University of Texas at age 16.

He served in the Navy and later studied art at Black Mountain College in North Carolina and in Paris.

“Barely There” was placed in the museum’s Rauschenberg Gallery late Friday morning. The gallery, which opened with the museum in 1994, includes about two dozen representations of Rauschenberg’s works, including rare prints and two original pieces.

“He was very much aware of this gallery,” said museum director Tom Neal. “In fact, he picked out pieces to put in here.

“He knew we appreciated him and everyone likes to be appreciated in their hometown.”

Rauschenberg did two fund-raisers here, Neal said, one for scholarships and one for the museum.

Sam Monroe, president of the Port Arthur Historical Society, said Rauschenberg did a show at the Port Arthur Library in 1984, a show at the Gates museum in 1991 and a show at the Museum of the Gulf Coast in 1998.

“He has been a supporter of the museum through the years, and Bob was really a supporter of the arts,” Monroe said, adding Rauschenberg lamented that Port Arthur didn’t have as much support for the arts when he was younger.

Neal said Webber agreed to let the museum show the piece for 60 days. The museum expects additional heavy traffic in July and August, with many out-of-town visitors.

Neal said Webber’s company helped set up the Museum of the Gulf Coast more than two decades ago, which is how he became aware of the Rauschenberg Gallery. He said “Barely There” is being shown here first because of Webber’s affinity for the Port Arthur museum, because this is Rauschenberg’s hometown and because the museum has extraordinary security measures in place to protect the painting.

“Barely There” makes reference to a cosmetics campaign of the time, Webber said. In this combine piece, Rauschenberg used paint, magazine cutouts, photo film negatives, an Oxford shirt with buttons, photo reproductions on paper, fabric, wood, newsprint, plastic printed paper and Masonite paper.

The piece was not listed by the Rauschenberg Foundation because it remained in private hands and was not widely known. In recent months a forensic study was made of the painting and there is a 115-page document that supports its authenticity.

In materials displayed with the painting, Webber explained that the piece was “traded” to Rauschenberg’s friend Ralph Rosenthal, who owned Rosen’s Deli on 51^st Street in New York, which the artist frequented.

After Rosenthal’s death, his son and later his son’s wife, Mary Rosenthal, owned the piece. Webber acquired it about a year ago.

“Barely There” is displayed in the gallery between “Speaking in Tongues,” Rauschenberg’s Grammy-winning cover for a Talking Heads album, and a poster of the Port Arthur Centennial Celebration.

 

Museum of the Gulf Coast

700 Procter St., Port Arthur

409-982-7000

Open Monday to Saturday, 9-5