Never Mind

For Richard Deacon, the material is an essential part of his sculptures: it carries meaning in itself. Hence, the new version literally gives the artwork a second life, with different associations and meanings; it is not just a copy.

Language is also important to the artist. The title “Never Mind” refers to both the notion “don’t bother” and to the fact that the work is quite physically present, exerting considerable impact on the viewer: it is experienced not only the mind (“never mind alone”), but also by the body.

The way we think is one of the things that makes us human. Western modernity has focused mainly on the mind and less on the body. This artwork breaks down that division: both the scale and the title suggest that the work is never just a brain, but always a body as well.

British contemporary artist Richard Deacon calls himself not a sculptor but a maker: one who tests the resilience of materials, language, and meaning to the limit. He is fascinated by the most diverse materials and seeks the limits of the making process. He also attaches equal importance to language: it is the instrument by which we give meaning to the world. For him, the meaning of a work of art is not fixed, but something we actively create, piece by piece and over and over again.