Artist’s Works Seized in Business Dispute

Authorities seized 15 works by artist Robert Rauschenberg and threatened to sell them if he does not pay $5.5 million owed to an art dealer.

The pieces were taken Friday night from a display at the Menil Collection in Houston. They were part of “Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective,” a traveling exhibit of more than 300 works being featured at Houston’s three art museums.

A Travis County court ruled in September that Rauschenberg and business associates must pay $5.5 million to Austin Art Consortium Inc. and art dealer Alfred Kren. The judgment included $1.8 million for unpaid commissions, libel, slander and interference with prospective business relationships, the consortium said. The remaining $3.7 million was for punitive damages.

The artwork will be sold at a public auction if Rauschenberg does not pay.

In their lawsuit, Kren and the consortium contended that they brokered sales of the artist’s work, coordinated exhibitions and performed other functions for him.

The relationship between the artist, some of his associates and the plaintiffs broke down in a financial dispute that led to the suit. The judgment was entered in default. Seizing the works is an attempt to force Rauschenberg to pay the judgment, attorneys for Kren said in a statement.

Daryl Pottorf, Rauschenberg’s business manager, who was also named in the suit, said in Saturday’s Houston Chronicle that the situation was still being sorted out.

“It’s a very complicated situation and I can’t talk about it right now,” Pottorf said.

Phone calls to Rauschenberg and his attorney, Theodore Kheel, were not returned Saturday.