Dave Hickey Quits the Art World.

Dave Hickey, renowned art critic, thinks the art world has become "nasty" and  "stupid" and  he says he's quitting. In a fierce attack on the art world, the  critic has raised eyebrows and ruffled feathers with his latest announcement...
http://apps.facebook.com/theguardian/artanddesign/2012/oct/28/art-critic-dave-hickey-quits-art-world

I definitely dislike his attitude. If this is truly what he believes then he is in the perfect position to find artists that truly matter and give them recognition they deserve while fixing the problems he is railing against.

As for his assessment of the current art world, I don't think he's too far off. A vast majority of people on this planet do not connect to what's considered "the best art of the day" and I think that needs paying attention to. Art risks being an afterthought if it moves too far from the general consciousness and culture...and so either we, as artists/critics/art-activists aren't doing a good job of explaining this art to the general public and engaging them, or the art itself isn't a good representative of our culture.

The Saatchi collection (a world-class collection of YBA type art, which stands as an unaccepted gift to Britain) is having trouble finding a home for this very reason...the museums know the public isn't interested and it's too much money to be worth it.

Art is supposed to lead the way in building culture and new ways of understanding it, but we shouldn't leave 99.9% of the public behind with no interest of them tagging along.

If he's incorrect and the art IS the best, the art-world and artists have failed in bringing the rest of the world along...and if he's right, the art world has failed by putting up a front that the public "just doesn't get it", allowing gallerists and artists to claim whatever they want, no matter how much BS is involved.

Either way, the art world's at fault...and the public, and art itself (in my opinion), are the ones that get hurt the most.