“Let me be clear about this: I don’t have a drug problem, I have a police problem.”
—KEITH RICHARDS
Series Editor: Gary Kornblau
Art issues., a bimonthly journal of contemporary art criticism [1989-2001] The Invisible Dragon: Four Essays on Beauty, by Dave Hickey The World of Jeffrey Vallance: Collected Writings 1978-1994 Last Chance for Eden: Selected Art Criticism by Christopher Knight 1979-1994 Mythomania: Fantasies, Fables, and Sheer Lies in Contemporary American Popular Art by Bernard Welt Deep Design: Nine Little Art Histories by Libby Lumpkin The New Now Sounds of Today! Songpoems by 21 Contemporary Artists [CD] The Sermons of Reverend Ethan Acres
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COVER
O’Gara/Bissell Photography, Henderson, Nevada
FRONTISPIECE
Scott Grieger
Keith Richards Playing Don Judd Guitar, 1972 Collage, 11” x 8 1/2” Courtesy of the artist
AIR GUITAR
DAVE HICKEY
Essays on Art & Democracy
Art issues. Press
The Foundation for Advanced Critical Studies, Inc.
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© 1997 The Foundation for Advanced Critical Studies, Inc.
Essays © 1997 Dave Hickey
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of The Foundation for Advanced Critical Studies, Inc.
This publication has been made possible through the generous financial support of Lannan Foundation, with additional funding provided by Bohen Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Challenge Program of the California Arts Council, and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.
Original book designed by Tracey Shiffman
E-book Production: ARTBOOK | DIGITAL
This e-book is not intended to be a facsimile of the original print edition but rather a rendering of the original print edition in a digital manner that respects the textual and visual qualities of the original within the limitations of the e-book file formats and readers at the time of its production: June 2012.
International Standard Book Number: 978-0-9637264-8-3
This book is dedicated to the memory of my grandparents
Harriet Rebecca Boswell & Samuel Edwards Balch
Who never wanted anything, and gave away the things they had
And to the memory of my parents
Helen Virginia Balch & David Cecil Hickey
Who wanted it all, for everyone, now
You must have a little patience. I have undertaken, you see, to write not only my life, but my opinions also; hoping and expecting that your knowledge of my character, and of what kind of a mortal I am, by the one, would give you a better relish of the other: As you proceed further with me, the slight acquaintance which is now beginning betwixt us, will grow into familiarity; and that, unless one of us is in fault, will terminate in friendship. . . . Therefore, my dear friend and companion . . . if I should seem now and then to trifle upon the road,—or should sometimes put on a fool’s cap with a bell to it, for a moment or two as we pass along,—don’t fly off,—but rather courteously give me credit for a little more wisdom than appears upon my outside;—and as we jogg on, either laugh with me, or at me, or in short, do any thing,—only keep your temper.
—LAURENCE STERNE, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
CONTENTS
A Rhinestone as Big as the Ritz
The Birth of the Big, Beautiful Art Market