It's one of the more striking and humorous sculptures to be found in Melbourne….if you can find it.

The problem for its creator is that Cow up a Tree, which once stood in splendid isolation on the foreshore at Docklands, has hunkered for three years behind a "temporary pop-up" cafe and is surrounded by concrete planter boxes, wooden seating, a tree in a pot and even an outdoor ping-pong table.

Sculptor John Kelly and his cow in a tree, which is now surrounded by a popup cafe, concrete planter boxes, wooden seating, a tree in a pot and even an outdoor ping-pong table. Credit:Jason South

"It's incredibly disappointing," said Melbourne-born sculptor and painter John Kelly during a visit this week from his home in West Cork, Ireland, where he's lived since 2003.

"What sort of attitude towards art leads a public authority to think 'Oh, good, everyone is coming here to see this sculpture, so let's put a cafe there'?" Mr Kelly pondered. "Art isn't something just for exploitation."