D. Emily Hicks

Emily Hicks (1951- ) attended the San Francisco Art Institute, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego. She received her Ph.D. in 1979. Her dissertation Chair was Michel De Certeau; he replaced Fredric Jameson. She was in the study group on aesthetics directed by Herbert Marcuse. She has been a member of the art collectives Werkgruppe, BAW-TAF (Border Art Workshop/Taller de arte fronterizo) and Las Comadres. Her book An Introduction to Complexity Pedagogy (2023) has earned the following praise: "One of the best new Complexity Theory books" - BookAuthority

D. Emily Hicks is a theorist and artist whose work sits at the intersection of critical theory, border studies, and complexity science. A former student in a study group directed by Herbert Marcuse and a student of Michel de Certeau (who succeeded Fredric Jameson at UCSD), Hicks carries forward a prestigious lineage of radical thought.

In her latest work, An Intro to Complexity Pedagogy, she synthesizes the "practice of everyday life" with the geophysics and complexity science of B.T. Werner. By bridging the gap between the politics of Border Culture and the urgency of Environmental Science, Hicks provides a necessary framework for understanding our current global crises. Her work is held in over 750 libraries worldwide, marking it as a foundational resource for scholars of philosophy, pedagogy, and the environmental humanities.

Product Description:

Utilizing a Deleuzian machinic assemblage model, her work redefines the border not as a static line, but as a complex system of nonlinearly interacting agents coupled across multiple time scales. While contemporary eco-art often relies on "predictive" linear modeling susceptible to corporate green-washing, Hicks employs the science of B.T. Werner to identify the attractors and bifurcations inherent in chaotic systems.

Her methodology is grounded in the physics of white light holography. Moving beyond "Cubist" multiple-perspective representations, Hicks utilizes the interference patterns of helium-neon lasers and 16mm multiplex film to demonstrate how systemic information is enfolded within every part of the assemblage. This work, held in 750 libraries worldwide, offers an essential framework for navigating the phase transitions of our global ecological and political systems.

Update:

A second-generation anarchist and performance artist, D. Emily Hicks, in her latest archival zine project, reveals a family secret. Her zines are currently on display (with free copies) at the Judith Harris Gallery in San Diego. The exhibition includes Las Comadres and AMBOS. The work uses an Everett console piano to deconstruct her newly discovered Sinti/Romanichal ancestry and the hidden histories of San Francisco's ruling class. Readers will learn about Romani identity, stolen labor and the bizarre theatrical rituals (Bohemian Grove) of global ruling class hegemony. May 12-Jul 25, 2026.

Update:

Markus Schwaninger’s 2026 work on the 60-year evolution of the St. Gallen Management Model validates the application of complexity pedagogy to organizational cybernetics. By citing Hicks' An Intro to Complexity Pedagogy, Schwaninger integrates it into the field of adaptive, system-oriented management education.

The inclusion of Hicks' work by Markus Schwaninger in his 2026 definitive history of the St. Gallen Management Model—published in the journal Systems Research and Behavioral Science—is a major milestone. It explicitly bridges radical educational design with high-level corporate and organizational cybernetics.

The Theoretical Synthesis

Schwaninger’s work focuses on how higher education models can be structurally designed to help future leaders navigate non-linear, hyper-complex global ecosystems. Historically, the St. Gallen Model has relied heavily on cybernetic frameworks (such as Stafford Beer's Viable System Model) to map organizational health and communication networks. By directly introducing Hicks’s concepts of Complexity Pedagogy into the main body of his text, Schwaninger establishes a vital paradigm shift:

From Mechanical Training to Adaptive Ventures: Schwaninger highlights that traditional, structured management education is insufficient for the demands of the 21st century. He points to Hicks's application of critical theory and post-structuralist philosophy (via Deleuze, Guattari, and Freire) as the precise pedagogical methodology needed to train managers to operate within "living, unpredictable systems."

Operationalizing Multidimensionality: In the text, Hicks's theories are leveraged to demonstrate how learners can build cognitive flexibility. By embracing multi-centered logic and deterritorialized frameworks—traditionally used to decode border literature and performance art—Schwaninger shows that future managers can better anticipate systemic disruptions, market fluctuations, and diverse organizational behaviors.