Walton Purchases Rauschenberg

Art News reports Alice Walton purchases Rauschenberg. In fact, she felt $78 million worth drawn to Robert Rauschenberg’s Buffalo II. I’ve never met Alice Walton, but I’m pretty sure I like her. Why do collectors feel drawn to an artist or a specific painting?

Artists do not create in a vacuum. The work of a visual artist might reveal their personal feelings, influences of family relations, community life, social in/justice, politics, war, peace, their exposure to poverty or discrimination. Perhaps the artists’ collectors and patrons are drawn to those cues. I thought about this great success of Rauschenberg to have his piece recognized as compelling. It caused me to reflect on Rauschenberg’s experiences paralleled with Harold Stevenson’s.

Seventy years ago, in 1949, two artists met for the first time: Robert Rauschenberg and Harold Stevenson. They are from similar backgrounds.

Harold Stevenson left his collegiate studies in his home state of Oklahoma during a dispute with the university over the rights of the art students to have live nude model sessions. Battles of differences have been won, but it takes activists, such as Harold Stevenson, to enact social change. Students at the progressively minded Crystal Bridges enjoy nude model classes which are now available on a routine basis. Harold Stevenson would have liked that.

After leaving the university, Stevenson began seeking a home where freedom of artistic expression is valued. He had recently won a national scholarship competition to attend Art Students League New York. The prize came just in time. It afforded him the means to move from Oklahoma to New York City.

Robert Rauschenberg and Harold Stevenson attend Art Students League

One of Stevenson’s cohorts was a young man from Texas, Robert Rauschenberg. I imagine they might have been quick friends. Harold and Robert Rauschenberg have interesting parallel backgrounds. They were both country boys in the big city. Rauschenberg is ¼ Cherokee Indian and reared with a strong Christian environment .

Stevenson had been painting Choctaw Indians since he was a teenager, probably even earlier. The two young artists had other commonalities in their background. Both are involved in costume design for their respective high school productions. They each confided to aspirations of becoming a preacher, but conflicted circumstances dissuaded them from that vocational path.

After leaving Art Students League, the two artists would meet again, over and over as the decades brought evolution to the art world.

Rauschenberg replaces Stevenson at Guggenheim

Most notably, in 1962, Stevenson was residing in Paris France and painting a tribute to his friend, Lord Timothy Willoughby. American actor, Sal Mineo modeled. The piece, The New Adam, was scheduled by Guggenheim New York curator Lawrence Alloway for the 1963 Six Painters and the Object exhibit. When Alloway saw the “magnificent” piece (his words), he exclaimed it would detract from the remaining artists’ works in the show. Harold Stevenson was banned from the Guggenheim based on the curator’s decision. I’ve explained more about that here.

“Museums are a center of authority in our culture; … what choice has a public which lives in awe of authority but to think so too?” wrote Barbara Rose in 1963. Lawrence Alloway replaced Stevenson with Robert Rauschenberg.

Mayer becomes patron for Stevenson and Rauschenberg

After being banned from the Guggenheim, Richard Feigen takes a chance on Harold’s bold art. Feigen/Herbert Gallery supports Stevenson with three U.S. exhibitions: Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Stevenson’s Los Angeles exhibit will be covered extensively in the media “Audacity in Los Angeles: the sensational Stevenson show” reads one headline. A full-page reproduction of The Eye of Jean Francois H. accompanies the article. Below is the installation view from the New York exhibit.

In addition to the Mayers, Feigen is rounding up a number of Stevenson patrons to contribute to the exhibition. They include Mr. Richard Brown Baker, Mr. and Mrs. (Ruth Ford) Zachary Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Weinstein, Mr. Philip Johnson (donates his piece to MoMA), Mrs. Dorothy McNerney, Mr. Sal Mineo, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Wilder, and others.

The early 1960s were prolific periods for both Stevenson and Rauschenberg. They both exhibit in the prestigious 1963 Whitney.

They both are at the city in the sea for the 1964 Venice Biennale. Robert won the grand prize. Harold’s art went to jail – so to speak. Two of Stevenson’s pieces are confiscated by the Italian police and fines were imposed for indecency. After the media sensationalism abated, charges are dropped, and the artworks return to the artist.

If Harold were alive today, I’d surely take him over to Crystal Bridges. Like I said, I’m pretty sure Alice Walton is my kind of gal and Harold would have liked her too.