Despite his humble beginnings, Dickerson's dedication and talent propelled him to become an iconic painter in Australia. Hewas a member of the “Antipodean Group” and his works are now held in every major collecting institution across the country.

In 1954, Paul Haefliger, an art critic ... for the Sydney Morning Herald, commented on Dickerson's work saying that it belonged to the future. Haefliger acknowledged the presence of a creative mind and originality in Dickerson's art but noted the absence of formal background and training.

Similarly, Laurie Thomas, an influential critic and curator in the 1970s, praised Dickerson's ability to create art that was as tough as jarrah wood yet gracefully depicted the human situation. Thomas referred to him as one of the true primitives of recent years, recognizing his unique approach to art.

Dickerson had great powers of observation and one could pose a myriad of questions related to this pose, even the gender of the subject is ambiguous. Like Charles Blackman, who was also an Antipodean, the enigma in Dickerson’s images was never a struggle; for him it just came naturally.