Richard Deacon

Richard Deacon’s voluptuous abstract forms have placed him at the forefront of British sculpture since the 1980s and, hugely influential, his works are visible in major public commissions around the world. His voracious appetite for material has seen him move between laminated wood, stainless steel, corrugated iron, polycarbonate, marble, clay, vinyl, foam and leather. As he explains: “Changing materials from one work to the next is a way of beginning again each time (and thus of finishing what had gone before)”. Deacon describes himself as a ‘fabricator’, emphasising the construction behind the finished object – although many of the works are indeed cast, modelled or carved by hand – and accordingly the logic of the fabrication is often exposed: sinuous curved forms might be bound by glue oozing between layers of wood or have screws and rivets protruding from sheets of steel, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Such transparency highlights the reactive nature of the process: it is part of a two-way conversation between artist and material that transforms the workaday into something metaphorical. The idea of ‘fabrication’ also denotes making something up, of fiction rather than truth, and this knack for wordplay surfaces in Deacon’s titles, which might establish juxtapositions or wreak new meaning from familiar sayings or clichés – see Let’s not be Stupid (1991), No Stone Unturned (1999), Water Under the Bridge (2008) or Shiver My Timbers (2016).

Richard Deacon was born in Bangor, Wales, UK in 1949 and lives and works in London, UK. He has a BA from St Martin’s School of Art, London, UK (1972) and an MA in Environmental Media from the Royal College of Art, London, UK (1977). Solo exhibitions include Kula Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Split, Croatia (2021); Middelheim Museum, Antwerp, Belgium (2017); San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA, USA (2017); Prague City Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic (2017); Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany (2016), Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Switzerland (2015); Tate Britain, London, UK (2014); Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Germany (2011); Musée de la Ville de Strasbourg, France (2010); Portland Art Museum, Oregon, USA (2008); PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, USA (2001); MACCSI, Caracas, Venezuela (1996); Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, UK (1989) and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, USA (1988). He represented Wales at the Venice Biennale, Italy (2007) and has participated in the Venice Architecture Biennale, Italy (2012), Glasgow International, UK (2006) and documenta 9, Kassel, Germany (1992). He won the Turner Prize in 1987 and the Robert Jakobsen Prize, Museum Wurth, Kunzelsau, Germany in 1995. He was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the Ministry of Culture, France in 1996 and made a CBE in 1999.

Richard Deacon
Under The Weather #5

2019
Wood 303 x 97 x 67 cm / 119 1/4 x 38 1/8 x 26 3/8 in

Richard Deacon
Swell

2019
Painted Steel 94 x 283 x 173 cm 37 x 111 3/8 x 68 in

Richard Deacon
def

2018
Painted & lacquered steel 118 x 148 x 30.5 cm / 46 3/8 x 58 1/4 x 12 in

Richard Deacon
I Remember #5

2018
Wood and stainless steel 182 x 137 x 206 cm / 71 5/8 x 53 7/8 x 81 in

Richard Deacon
Flat 56

2018
Glazed ceramic 86 x 143.5 x 3.5 cm / 33 3/4 x 56 1/2 x 1 3/8 in

Richard Deacon
Size is Everything #1

2017
Sculpture: wood (Cypress), epoxy, leaf tea, iron powder, pigment Table: fumed oak and MDF board Sculpture: 13 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 5 in. (35 x 14 x 12.5 cm)

Richard Deacon
A Different Time

2017
Varnished mild steel with colour tint 124 x 120 x 80 cm / 48 7/8 x 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 in

Richard Deacon
Shiver My Timbers 20

2016
Wood 103 x 23 x 23 cm / 40 1/2 x 9 x 9 in

Richard Deacon
Before The Mast

2015
Ash, plastic 286 x 99 x 53 cm / 112 5/8 x 39 x 20 7/8 in

Richard Deacon
Shiver My Timbers 17

2016
Wood 103 x 23 x 23 cm / 40 1/2 x 9 x 9 in

Richard Deacon
Alphabet X

2015
Stainless steel and powder coat 215 x 153 x 1.5 cm / 84 5/8 x 60 1/4 x 0 5/8 in

Richard Deacon
Flat 14

2015
Glazed white clay 8 x 72 x 47 cm / 3 1/8 x 28 3/8 x 18 1/2 in

Richard Deacon
Associate

2014
Stainless steel with paint 410 x 340 x 300 cm 161 7/16 x 133 7/8 x 118 1/8 in.

Richard Deacon
Associate

2014
Stainless steel with paint 410 x 340 x 300 cm 161 7/16 x 133 7/8 x 118 1/8 in.

Richard Deacon
Associate

2014
Stainless steel with paint 410 x 340 x 300 cm 161 7/16 x 133 7/8 x 118 1/8 in.

Richard Deacon
Fold

2012
Glazed ceramic and steel 390 x 398 x 206 cm / Base 1.5 x 444 x 257 cm 156 11/16 x 81 1/8 in. / Base: 9/16 x 174 13/16 x 101 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Singapore

2012
UV print on shaped STPI handmade paper, collaged on screen printed Saunders paper 112 x 142 cm 44 1/16 x 55 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Marina Bay Sands ♯2

2012
UV print on shaped STPI handmade paper, collaged on screen printed Saunders paper Framed: 114.9 x 154.9 cm Framed: 45 1/4 x 61 in.

Richard Deacon
Alphabet G

2011
Stainless steel 279 x 265 x 5.5 cm 109 13/16 x 104 5/16 x 2 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Alphabet G

2011
Stainless steel 279 x 265 x 5.5 cm 109 13/16 x 104 5/16 x 2 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
I Remember (2)

2012
Wood and stainless steel 121 x 400 x 137 cm 47 5/8 x 157 1/2 x 53 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Congregate

2011
Stainless steel 257 x 329 x 660 cm 101 3/16 x 129 1/2 x 259 13/16 in.

Richard Deacon
White Republic

2010
Glazed ceramic 56 x 66 x 37 cm / Base: 60 x 75 x 75 cm 22 1/16 x 26 x 14 9/16 in. / Base: 23 5/8 x 29 1/2 x 29 1/2 in.

Richard Deacon
Grey Republic

2009
Glazed ceramic 47.5 x 78 x 55 cm / Base: 55 x 85 x 85 cm 18 11/16 x 30 11/16 x 21 5/8 in. / Base: 21 5/8 x 33 7/16 x 33 7/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Blue Turquoise Republic

2009
Glazed ceramic 65.5 x 73 x 73 cm / Base: 55 x 85 x 85 cm 25 13/16 x 28 3/4 x 28 3/4 in. / Base: 21 5/8 x 33 7/16 x 33 7/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Venice Blue-Green/Spring Green/Pink & Electric Blue Traces

2007
Glazed ceramic (with steel hook) 67 x 33.5 x 18.5 cm 26 3/8 x 13 3/16 x 7 1/4 in.

Richard Deacon
House Version

2005
Stainless steel 274 x 276 x 192 cm 107 7/8 x 108 11/16 x 75 9/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Restless

2005
Steamed ash and stainless steel 158 x 374 x 257 cm 62 3/16 x 147 1/4 x 101 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Restless

2005
Steamed ash and stainless steel 158 x 374 x 257 cm 62 3/16 x 147 1/4 x 101 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Border Traffic

2004
Glazed ceramic 19 x 129 x 109 cm 7 1/2 x 50 13/16 x 42 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Empirical Jungle

2003
Glazed ceramic 167 x 133 x 109 cm 65 3/4 x 52 3/8 x 42 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Infinity # 20

2003
Stainless steel 170 x 190 x 3cm 66 15/16 x 74 13/16 x 1 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Infinity #19

2003
Stainless steel 170 x 137 x 3cm 66 15/16 x 53 15/16 x 1 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Like You Know

2002
Glazed ceramic 80 x 135 x 114 cm 31 1/2 x 53 1/8 x 44 7/8 in.

Richard Deacon
Drift

2002
Glazed ceramic 94 x 109 x 99 cm 37 x 42 15/16 x 39 in.

Richard Deacon
UW84DC #5

2001
Ash and aluminium 133 x 515 x 194 cm 52 3/8 x 202 3/4 x 76 3/8 in.

Richard Deacon
UW84DC #4

2001
Ash and aluminium 100 x 401 x 163 cm 39 3/8 x 157 7/8 x 64 3/16 in.

Richard Deacon
UW84DC #12

2001
Ash and aluminium 49 x 313 x 213 cm 19 5/16 x 123 1/4 x 83 7/8 in.

Richard Deacon
Infinity No. 6

1999
Stainless steel 124 x 90 x 2.5 cm 48 13/16 x 35 7/16 x 1 in.

Richard Deacon
Art For Other People #47

1999
Glass and net 80 x 60 x 35 cm 31 1/2 x 23 5/8 x 13 3/4 in.

Richard Deacon
After

1998
Wood, stainless steel and aluminium 169 x 960 x 346 cm 66 9/16 x 377 15/16 x 136 1/4 in.

Richard Deacon
Laocoon

1996
Steamed beechwood, aluminium & steel bolts 430 x 364 x 357 cm 169 5/16 x 142 1/2 x 140 9/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Art For Other People #41

1997
Wood and epoxy resin 40 x 32 x 43 cm 15 3/4 x 12 5/8 x 16 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Art For Other People #19

1985
Stainless steel, brass, linoleum 76 x 76 x 76 cm 29 15/16 x 29 15/16 x 29 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Art For Other People #23

1988
Mild steel, bronze strip, formica wood 99 x 205 x 38 cm 39 x 80 11/16 x 14 15/16 in.

Richard Deacon
Infinity #36

2016
Stainless steel 239 x 196 x 3 cm / 94 1/8 x 77 1/8 x 1 1/8 in

Richard Deacon

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