Robert Slater’s paintings exhibit a provocative and imaginative nature, celebrating the naked body and explore the relationship between men and women in a whimsical and thought-provoking fashion. Many of the paintings are oil on canvas, but there are also paintings the artist did on the materials he had available including oil on board, particle board, masonite, and even cardboard. They vary in condition and subject matter, with a variety of sizes, many being very large. The frames he used are also what he had at hand, including some antique or vintage frames, but even aluminium previously used for screen windows.

Often accompanying the paintings are quotations from philosophical and religious texts, which help to contextualise the content of his works and show Robert Slater to have been a deeply thoughtful and well-read artist.

Several of his works have now found a home in the permanent collection of the National Academy of Arts and Design in New York.

The last ten paintings in this collection were rediscovered separately from the others, and are in a more realistic, studio style, but they are signed ‘Slater’ and are believed to be early works by Robert.