Hickman, Craig. Craig Hickman. Mars Observations. Maryhurst University, November 4 - December 9, 2001.

Essay by Terri M. Hopkins. Dry Reading Press, 2001. Stiff illustrated wraps, 64 pages, like new. [Hickman combines photographs with text in Morse code, an unknown code, texts that flow through several languages, and even a few in English.]  Summary:

Organized and hosted at the Marylhurst Art Gym at Marylhurst University from November 4 to December 9, 2001, Mars Observations was a major exhibition accompanying the release of the artist's book of the same name, published by Dry Reading Press. Created by Craig Hickman—an Oregon-based photographer, digital artist, and the creator of the foundational children's creativity software Kid Pix—the exhibition and volume presented a complex multi-decade retrospective of his visual and textual experimentation.

1. The Book as a Beautiful Conundrum

Despite its title, Mars Observations is not about planetary science or astronomy. Instead, Hickman structured the work around themes of order, randomness, coincidence, language, perception, design, and media. The project is designed as a series of 29 double-page spreads containing puzzling, often humorous visual and verbal juxtapositions that deliberately challenge traditional narrative frameworks.

2. Algorithmic and Generative Art

A defining element of the work is Hickman's integration of early computer programming with digital art. The accompanying text was generated, manipulated, and massaged using custom algorithms and software designed by the artist. By feeding his own writing and database material through code, Hickman explored the friction between machine-generated logic and human interpretation.

3. A Thirty-Year Visual Archive

While the text relied on modern digital manipulation, the imagery was deeply rooted in traditional practice. The project compiles 120 color and black-and-white photographs captured by Hickman over a 30-year span. By pairing historical, analog images with freshly randomized digital text, the exhibition showcased the evolution of the photographic medium from classical documentation to interactive, conceptual art.

The 2001 Marylhurst exhibition of Mars Observations remains a noteworthy milestone in Pacific Northwest digital and photographic art history. By positioning algorithmic text alongside a massive personal photo archive, Hickman was an early pioneer in demonstrating how custom software could reshape print media, book arts, and photographic curation.