Richard Deacon "The role of public art"

‘Richard Deacon (1949) is one of the artists who contribute to the Münster exhibition. At two corners of the Tibusstreet he will install autonomous sculptures which will cancel the interrupted unity of the street that is crossed by other streets. Referring to the Sculpture Projects in Münster Deacon will examine the topic of 'private art' (studio and gal1erie) and 'public art'. ‘The ways in which we look at the world are reflected in the ideas we have about it. The relationship between people and things is complex, multifaceted and continually of importance. One aspect of this has to do with a sense of identity. Things can be either private or public; we use things, and look them; things help us to act, surprise us and disappear when we are looking for them; things can carry the weight of profound meanings- the 'Stone of Scone' or the 'Elgin Marbles' for example -; things can be a tangible contact with others. I once found a flint spearhead; the realization that the last person to have touched it was six thousand years ago was electric.’ (R. Deacon in the catalogue 'Sonsbeek 86', p. 102.)’ (‘Sunday afternoons: Richard Deacon - The role of public art’, Newsletter De Appel, 2 (1987) 2.)