Portrait of a Collection: TarraWarra Museum of Art

TarraWarra Museum of Art (TWMA) is an art museum in Healesville, Victoria (Wurundjeri Country), northeast of Melbourne, founded by Australian art collectors and philanthropists Eva Besen AO and Marc Besen AO.

Eva and Marc met in 1947, and first discovered their shared passion for visual art during their honeymoon in 1950. Shortly after, they began identifying and acquiring works, building a collection that would gain widespread acclaim over the next 50 years.

In 1999, Eva and Marc approached Maudie Palmer, former director of Heide, with a vision for a public museum at TarraWarra to showcase their extensive collection. Crucially, their aim was for the museum to stand as a public gift rather than a privately held institution. Portrait of a Collection is a comprehensive publication that honours this intention, celebrating the journey of a personal collection turned public.

In 2001, The TarraWarra Museum of Art was officially founded, with 564 works from Eva and Marc’s private collection, reflecting three central themes: landscape, the solitary figure, and abstraction. Today, the collection comprises these early works, along with additional pieces chosen by museum directors, incorporating contemporary installations and multimedia art.

Edited by Victoria Lynn, Andrew Fitzpatrick, and Kirstie Grant, and designed by Studio Ongarato, ‘Portrait of a Collection’ explores both the individual and collective legacy. Featuring works by 100 artists, including John Brack, William Dobell, Russell Drysdale, Rosalie Gascoigne, John Olsen, Patricia Piccinini, Yhonnie Scarce, Jeffrey Smart, and Judy Watson, the collection showcases the significant figures who shaped the evolution of modern and contemporary art in Australia.

In collaboration with the editors, Studio Ongarato created the concept and narrative, as well as its design and art direction. Through an A-Z sequence of the 100 artists, the works challenge themes, mediums, and time periods, inviting connections between the wide-ranging collection. Broader thematic essays are woven within the sequence, ensuring a dynamic structure to the book.

A photographic essay by Rory Gardiner was commissioned by Studio Ongarato as part of the publication to capture the surrounding site, landscape and architecture by Allan Powell, in addition to the installation and sculptural artworks across the museum grounds.

Thank you to Naomi Milgrom for envisioning and supporting the publication, and the project team Victoria Lyn, Anthony Fitzpatrick and Kirsty Grant, for the collaborative contributions.

Portrait of a Collection is published by Thames & Hudson and is available to purchase through all bookstores, select galleries and directly from TarraWarra Museum of Art.