Prodigal son of the sixties—or Irrational Exuberance.

The life and times of Dickens 44

Dickens 44 is unquestionably a product of his generation. Coming of age in the sixties in the San
Francisco Bay Area, he was at the epicenter of the seismic cultural shift that shook the nation. However,
like his work, Dickens 44 is sui generis. While other aging baby boomers shifted and mellowed with age,
rolled with the changing times, grew cynical in the 70's, fell sway to the materialistic 80's, got caught up
in the technological 90's. Dickens 44 just left, taking his gluing supplies with him. His self-imposed exile
took him to Southeast Asia, where a lower cost of living allowed him to pursue his art free from the dying
scene he once knew in Marin County. Now at 65, he has returned and he is ready to set his vision free.
The man who so steadfastly refused to commercialize his work is finally opening the doors to his studio,
unleashing an astounding body of work on the world at large.

  
Calling his work unique is like calling the grand canyon big. It's true but perhaps an understatement. The
sheer scope of his work, the materiality, the incredible detail, the humor; these are qualities rarely seen
in contemporary art. The work of Dickens 44 is not concerned with political correctness or dour dogmatic
expressions of angst, ennui, or knowingness.
 
On the contrary, the beautiful textures and exuberant colors operate in the service of an un-reined
sensuality. These creations, pure id in a world of super ego, are resistant to sterile, problematizing art
criticism. But what makes this work truly rare is the technical mastery Dickens 44 brings to it. Anyone can
blow up the box, but no one can glue it back together in such a coherent and persuasive, not to mention
gorgeous, manner.
 
Comparisons are difficult, until one widens the scope of reference to include the animal kingdom. The
decorator crab may be one useful analogue. A surprisingly inventive and resourceful creature, it glues to
its shell bits and pieces of colorful detritus, algae and cast-off shells. Dickens 44's process seems almost
as instinctive and organic, and the results are no less stunning. Accretion is the organizing principle, but
the underlying algorithm remains in mystery. As varied and multitudinous as the many patterns of coral,
Dickens work constantly surprises and delights. Indeed, the undersea analogy is not strained, as the coral
reef of Dickens44 adopted tropical home has been a lifelong source of inspiration.
 
There are other animals significant to Dickens 44's work. These animals, real and imaginary, form a sort
of pantheon of familiars and can be found in many of his works. Frisbee dog, giant squid, and the
molligator are frequent subjects, in some, and play the roles of minor characters in some of his more epic
visions. Other visual themes and motifs are drawn from Native American lore, Asian mythology, and old-
fashioned Americana.  
 

 
This offering is an incredible opportunity for the collector who stays ahead of the curve, to be a part of a
historic release of important visual art.