It is rare to have an individual of Professor Hickey’s talent and prestige in Salt Lake and it is certain that it will be well worth the time of any individual interested in arts and culture in general to attend this event. Professor Hickey’s list of achievements is quite exceptional. Some of the accomplishments of Hickey’s and honors that he has received are: Executive Director of Art in America Magazine, editor to the Village Voice and Art Issues Magazine. He has contributed to publications such as Rolling Stone, Art News, Art in America, Art Forum, Interview, Harpers Magazine, Vanity Fair, Nest, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Hickey is visiting professor at University Texas Austin, University of California Santa Barbara, Otis Parsons Institute Los Angeles, the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and University of Nevada Los Vegas. He has been the subject of personal profiles in the Los Angeles Times, and airs regularly on PBS and NPR. He also owns several art galleries, written numerous books, and has been the recipient of the 2001 Mac Arthur Foundation Award.
The first thing one learns when meeting Professor Hickey is that he has a genuine love and passion for art. Only an individual with his tenacity could have had such an impact in the art world, and have had so many profound and interesting experiences.
When asked about how he analyzes art he says that he has no preconceived notions; he approaches each work he sees with an open mind. He suggests that developing a value structure for yourself, the viewer, is the best way to see art, focusing your own ideas and seeing works with an individual perspective. Concerning his views on public art- this being very relevant in our community- he mentions the controversy which surrounds works such as Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc in New York, or the Washington Vietnam Veterans War Memorial controversy. To such controversy, such as that concerning the Rodin exhibit at Brigham Young University, one must not be afraid of quarrels and speak freely about your beliefs. Finally, when questioned about the nature of art in the future, he simply suggests that “it is not important, not a critical issue at this point.”
Dave Hickey has contributed to the art community prodigiously throughout his expansive and vibrant career. His profound insights of art, the extent of his contribution to the pool of knowledge in the discourse and his sincere love of art have made him a fundamental and definitive voice in the art world for several generations.