Four Chairs (1981-91) [3/M]

The catalogue of the 1991 Arkley survey at Monash lists a set of four chairs, as detailed above (dated 1981-91). Three of them appear in an installation photo taken at the time for the Monash Visual Arts slide library (reproduced here). It seems probable that the fourth chair in the set is Untitled (Chair) (1991) [3/M], an unfinished example, with the same design and similar dimensions, auctioned in Melbourne in 2009 (presumably not finished in time for the Monash survey show, and left incomplete).

These works, evidently variations on the chairs from Muzak Mural – Chair Tableau (1980-81) [3/M], were described in the Monash catalogue as belonging to the artist, but they were no longer in his collection at his death.

The orange and green chair in the centre of the photo shown here appeared at auction in Melbourne in 2015, together with a square of black and white floor tiling.

Chair (1980) [3/M] was a separate, differently-structured work, also included in HA Monash 1991 (cat.21).

Provenance

• artist’s collection (Monash 1991)
• later history unknown
• orange and green chair auctioned by Deutscher & Hackett, Melb., 26 Aug.2015, lot 7 (as ‘Chair 1991’; ill.; dimensions given as 86.5 x 38.0 x 40.0 [chair], 1.0 x 64.5 x 61.5 [tiled base]; provenance noted as Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne and then private collection, Sydney; est.$10-15,000; not sold?)

Exhibited

• HA Monash 1991, cat.81: details as above