For biographical information on George Baldessin see Acc. no. 1990.265 'Additional information'. For biographical information on Imants Tillers see Acc. no. 1998.018a-o 'Additional information'. The following extract from the catalogue to Baldessin's memorial exhibition at the NGV in 1983 describes the collaborative venture between two leading Australian artists: "George Baldessin taught Imants Tillers the etching process from January to June 1976, then from July until September Tillers lived at Vence in the V.A.B. Owen Tooth Cottage, where they finished together the aquatinting of the plates, and proofed them in a temporary workshop in Nice. Commenting on how these collaborative works evolved, Imants Tillers wrote: 'The set of etchings "According to des Esseintes" was executed with George Baldessin in Paris, Vence and Nice (France) and printed by Pascal Giraudon in Nice in 1976. 'Each of the five prints forming this set consists of two images. One of these images was begun by George and finished by me and the other was begun by me and finished by George. This process did not take place conceptually or just in drawings but was recorded directly by burn point on copper plate. Furthermore, neither did George know how I was starting my plate nor I how George was starting his. Thus when the corresponding plates of each pair were exchanged (and this often through geographic necessity took place by mail) any resonance between our respective imagery or motifs was completely fortuitous. However, we never intended in this work to test our E.S.P. capacities. Perhaps one should see this work as a conversation or dialogue between George and myself. There are five parts to this dialogue. In each part we take it in turns to have "the first word" and "to finish the other's sentence". From time to time, however,the dialogue seems to be inexplicably suspended and a third voice (neither George's nor mine) may be heard.' - Imants Tillers November 1979." Extract from: Lindsay, R. & Holloway, M.J. 'George Baldessin sculpture and etchings (a memorial exhibition)', NGV, 1983. In the tradition of Surrealist collage and photomontage, Baldessin and Tillers have manipulated images from diverse sources to create an impact of strangeness and startling novelty. Their practice of collaboration has interestingly been followed by other Australian artists, Tim Johnson with Michael Nelson Tjakamarra, Imants Tillers with Marianne Baillieu and Juan Davila with Howard Arkley.