Our Art

At RACV, we value the role art plays in connecting communities, and its ability to foster social cohesion across all ages, backgrounds and cultures.

Explore our collection

About the RACV Art Collection

Established in 2003, the RACV Art Collection features more than 1000 contemporary works, supporting Australian living artists. Most works have been created within the last 20 years, reflecting the current arts landscape and social themes. Our Art Collection is accessible across our Resorts, offices and online. Key artists include Del Kathryn Barton, Jon Cattapan, Rosemary Laing, Jan Senbergs and Jenny Watson.

Image above: Artwork installation, RACV Torquay Resort

Collection focus

Del Kathryn Barton, Girl #1, 2003, synthetic polymer paint, gouache and ink on canvas, 120 x 84.5cm. Courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, photographer Christian Capurro.  

Del Kathryn Barton

Del Kathryn Barton has won the Archibald Prize twice – in 2008 with a self-portrait with her two children, and in 2013 with a portrait of Australian actor Hugo Weaving. Barton is known for her highly imaginative and ornately decorated images of both human and animal.

Image credit: Del Kathryn Barton, Girl #1, 2003, synthetic polymer paint, gouache and ink on canvas, 120 x 84.5cm. Courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, photographer Christian Capurro.  

Lara Merrett, The Happy Prince, 2009, synthetic polymer paint and ink on canvas, 183 x 168cm. Courtesy the artist, photographer Christian Capurro.  

Lara Merrett

Known for her intuitive abstract works, Lara Merrett paints much like a sculptor creates, moving around the canvas shaping and layering the paint. Her instinctive methodology investigates notions of duality in the picture plane; of depth and opacity; chaos with order; and the reference to the otherness through that which goes beyond the frame.   

Image credit: Lara Merrett, The Happy Prince, 2009, synthetic polymer paint and ink on canvas, 183 x 168cm. Courtesy the artist, photographer Christian Capurro.  

Mark Nodea (Gija), My Mother’s Country, 2019, natural ochre and pigments on canvas, 90 x 120cm. Courtesy the artist and Warmun Art Centre, WA, photographer Christian Capurro.   

Mark Nodea

Mark Nodea’s works are bold, minimal and deep in character. They transform the oral histories of his Gija country and contemporary environment to share a striking personal imagery. His mother was a Gija woman and his father a Walmajarrie man, which enabled him to understand and paint his mother’s country around Texas Downs and his father’s country around Yakanarra. 

Image credit: Mark Nodea (Gija), My Mother’s Country, 2019, natural ochre and pigments on canvas, 90 x 120cm. Courtesy the artist and Warmun Art Centre, WA, photographer Christian Capurro.   

Robert Boynes, Spencer Street, 2004, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 80 x 200cm. Courtesy the artist, photographer Christian Capurro. 

Robert Boynes

Robert Boynes has been creating works since the 1960s with an initial focus on neo-pop imagery and an ongoing fascination with capitalism. These interests paved the way for later explorations into Australian urban development, particularly his interest in interrogating modern life. Boynes’ work is reminiscent of advertising billboards and imagery that bombard us while navigating urban spaces.  

Image credit: Robert Boynes, Spencer Street, 2004, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 80 x 200cm. Courtesy the artist, photographer Christian Capurro.   

Art and the Community

Art has the power to tell stories and connect people. RACV supports our community, members and artists alike with art events and projects. Keep an eye out below for details about our programs. 
 
Image credit: Philip Wolfhagen, Night Beacon I (detail), 2005, oil and beeswax on linen, 200 x 210cm. Courtesy the artist, photographer Christian Capurro. 

Art and the Community

Art has the power to tell stories and connect people. RACV supports our community, members and artists alike with art events and projects. Keep an eye out below for details about our programs.   
 
Image credit: Philip Wolfhagen, Night Beacon I (detail), 2005, oil and beeswax on linen, 200 x 210cm. Courtesy the artist, photographer Christian Capurro.    

Installation view, Re-gathering at Benalla Art Gallery, 2021, photographer Christian Capurro

Re-Gathering at Benalla Art Gallery

Re-gathering is an exhibition featuring portraits and figurative artworks from the RACV and Benalla Art Gallery Collections. It explores both individual and collective experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic through surveying the community and incorporating their responses into the exhibition. The works selected respond to the community’s voice, navigating social distancing, boarder closures, family separation, a renewed interest in nature and the warmth felt in the community as we re-gather tentatively in celebration. 

Re-gathering is presented in partnership with Benalla Art Gallery and MPavilion as part of the AMPLIFY program. Exhibition dates: 18 December 2020 – 20 June 2021.

Image credit: Installation view, Re-gathering at Benalla Art Gallery, 2021, photographer Christian Capurro.