Rabble-Rousing at Frieze: Dave Hickey Gives a Talk

The title of Dave Hickey's talk at Frieze on Friday afternoon, "Schoolyard Art: Playing Fair Without the Referee," had an unlikely inspiration: Julius Erving, the basketball legend. He always played by the rules, the critic and 2001 MacArthur winner pointed out, even when it was just an informal game of pickup.

What does basketball have to do with art?

"Whatever rules there were, there ain't," he said. "If you want to be an icon of virtue, this is the moment because I promise you, you'll stand out."

Hickey's diatribe — tempered by his humor — would've ruffled the feathers of some of the market establishment. But none of them appeared to be inside the Frieze auditorium, as he got only laughs and grunts of agreement from his audience. Neither dealers — "There is so much money out there, it just make you cry, and it's hard to get ahold of it unless you're selling art" — nor collectors — "If you really want to piss away some money, the art world is the place to do it" — or even artists — "There are a lot of artists who like money better than art" — were spared.

Sounds like a dire situation.

But Hickey's message was to sit back, let the principles of laissez-faire economics work there magic on the art market, and all will be right again, eventually.

His prediction: Dealers will start showing what they like. Art collectors will stop buying art that "some third-rate art advisor with a degree from Minneapolis" tells them to buy. And one night at the Bull and Bear down on Wall Street, the bankers will decide it's no longer cool blow their bonuses on paintings and sculptures. As exciting as the dizzying ascent of this art market has been, Hickey said, imagine how fun the plunge will be, when all the Icari fall from the sky.

"Go out and buy s**t. That's all I have to say."