This text is a survey of the work of British sculptor, Richard Deacon, from 1972 to 1994, including sculptures, installations, drawings and models. The book presents Deacon's works photographed in his studio, in galleries around the world, and in public sites in Europe, Japan and America. Pier Luigi Tazzi explores key themes in contemporary sculpture from a European perspective; Jon Thompson provides a survey of the artist's key works over the last 15 years; Peter Schjeldahl focuses on a work called Keeping the Faith; and Deacon selects a text by Mary Douglas on the meaning of dirt.