Hierarchical Death (‘Lost work’ photomontage) c. 1986

Summary

This image is one of fourteen photomontages found in a solander box in the collection store labelled 'Lost Works.' Very little is known about the images, or how they came to exist within the Art and Heritage Collection.

This particular image features a sculpture by Chris Beecroft titled, 'Hierarchical Death' from 1985. It is believed the photographs were taken by Tony Boyd, while the photomontages themselves were created by Peter Lyssiotis.

These photomontages were displayed in the 2023 City Gallery exhibition, Desire Lines, curated by Sean Lynch.

"Found last summer in a folder labelled ‘Lost Works’, a collection of photographs shows a series of sculptures, each seemingly placed around Melbourne city centre. With no information featured in the collection database, curatorial research by Cressida Goddard and Amelia Dowling ensued; they identified the images as part of a series of exhibitions collectively entitled 'Sculpture for Melbourne', held at the now defunct Gryphon Gallery in the summer of 1986. Contributing artists included Chris Beecroft, Geoffrey Bartlett, David Jensz, Gary Cumming, Wendy Teakel and Dan Wollmering, who share an expressionistic approach to large-scale assemblage work in metal, stone and wood. Their artworks are apparently sited in corporate plazas, on a helicopter landing pontoon on the Yarra and in the ubiquitous office boardrooms and foyers of the CBD. Yet, close examination of the photographs reveals the sculptures’ placement has been made through expert darkroom composition, using documentation of the artists’ maquettes printed on top of location photographs taken around the city." - Sean Lynch, 'Desire Lines' exhibition catalogue, 2023