Sculptor and teacher, born in Bangor, Caernarvonshire. He studied at Somerset College of Art, St Martin’s School of Art and Royal College of Art, 1968–77. Went on to teach at Central School of Art and Bath Academy of Art. The artist became caught up in the movement to redefine the ways of making sculpture and its purpose. He worked in a variety of materials, ranging from metal and wood to linoleum, and was especially interested in day-to-day objects such as pots and chairs. The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke and the philosopher Martin Heidegger aided Deacon’s studies of language and meaning. As well as taking part in key group shows Deacon had many one-man exhibitions, including Lisson Gallery, Serpentine Gallery, 1997; and Tate Liverpool, 1999, where his show New World Order displayed inventive industrial-cum-organic pieces, sculpture on the edge of architecture; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, 2002; L A Louver, Venice, California, America, 2004; and Tate St Ives, 2005.