Let us say that we were able to come up with a definition of Fine Art (beauty rather than utility) that was different from the definition of Illustration (clarifying or explaining), it is Fish or Cut Bait's responsibility to point out that the quality of either catagory makes a fantastic grey scale. The whole point of naming something Fish or Cut Bait is to champion that middle. I haven't been paid for many illustrations in my life. I once did the Spring cover for Seattle's the Stranger:

and then I did a few spreads in a retro-faux-photoshop sponge technique, also for the Stranger:

All day yesterday I was thinking about the
Can It Stand Alone Test
Below are six images that I've made, can you tell which three were illustrations supporting an article?

Personally, none of them last very long.
They're fun to pull out of a drawer every now and then.
The surfaces of illustrations do not have to be seductive.
In fact, they may not reproduce well with interesting surfaces.
I live with this Matthew Brown painting and rarely think of it as a jungle.

I meditate on those merlot colored foreground marks and the diaphanous wisps of deep space. Its all light and space and a little texture (enough to see the human hand).
It stands alone and seduces.
I might even say that it is a
Beautiful Clarification
that
Explains Uselessness

Matthew Picton Curator, by Steven LaRose

I just had some beers with Matthew Picton and we were able to talk "Art" all night. There was nobody else that needed to be included in the conversation. There is nothing more of a social buzz-kill than two dudes dropping fine-art names with cult-like fervor. He gave me the blow-by-blow of his opening in Seattle (those are two of his drawings made of wire above) and we talked about his plans for a group show in LA at Solway Jones in October. He picked my brain. We both had a laugh over the fact that until recently, it seemed that one didn't have to even make a piece of Art, it was better just to tell someone about your idea. Now, however, you don't have to tell someone about your idea, you just have to Google your idea to see how many people have already actualized your idea. This is not a depressing conversation. My favorite part of the night was when I asked Matthew "If you could buy any piece of Art , what would it be?" And he replied with not a whimsical fogginess, but rather a precise and cohesive list. He had curated a perfect show.

Exclusively here at Fish or Cut Bait
and with couplets added by me
and with no credits or thoughts until the end,

Some Fine Art
(scroll slow now)

1a James Turrell, light chamber
1b James Turrel, it would take too much time to due James Turrell justice tonight.
2a Roni Horn, Untitled (Flannery), 1996-97
2b "Roni Horn, an installation of photo-lithographs from the series Still Water (1999-present), an on-going, poetic study of the Thames River that was inspired by the artist's interest in the visual and literary possibilities of opaque water. "
3a Hiroshi Sugimoto, we both agree that this guy is goood.
3b Hiroshi Sugimoto,
4a Sol Lewitt, A sphere lit from the top, four sides, and all their combinations, 2004, now this is a slice of truth.
4b Sol Lewitt,
5a Richard Long, "This was Long’s first work made of slate, which came from Delabole in Cornwall. The sculpture is an example of the artist bringing objects connected with his walks into a gallery. Unlike many of the works which are made outdoors and exist only in photographs, this piece is permanent. The line is a central image in Long’s work. It recalls a path or a journey. It echoes the walks that Long has made all over the world."
5b Richard Long's official web site.
6a William Joseph Anastasi, ROARYBOARYELLAS (blind-fold drawing), 2003, Pastel
6b "William Anastasi demonstrates his concerns and reflections with the act of not seeing. In an 1990 interview about Anastasi's modus operandi vis a vis Surrealism's Automatism John Cage made a clear distinction:"It's not psychological; it's physical." Anastasi surrenders to a random process, allowing deeper or more intricate structures to surface. The results are mysterious and highly subtle drawings, exposing another order, a timeless noncausal scenario of universal physiological conditions. "
7a Tom Friedman, Eraser crumbs, super genius.
7b Tom Friedman, 1,000 Hours of Staring, 1992-97, stare on paper (gotta love that) 32 1/2 x 32 1/2 in.
8a Wolfgang Laib, Milkstone, 1998-2001, marble and milk, h: 2,4 x w: 23,4 x d: 28,8 in
8b Wolfgang Laib, Pollen, so much like and not like Friedman's Eraser crumbs.

Have no fear, ask questions.