-Mark

But there I was stunned at the rote talent I was seeing by these absolute wizards of visual communication–the best artists in the world. They were doing way more than just expressing themselves. They were communicating precise information instantly. I came to my senses. Nothing I had seen in the obnoxious fine art world came any where near to what I was seeing in that book. All the media –all the approaches–from photo-real to abstraction was represented. The entire gamut of modern art and all it’s possibilities were displayed before me. Instantly I realized what I wanted to do with my life–I wanted to be one of these folks–and I never wanted to be in the presence of a “fine artist” again.

I realized that all of the masters we study in the history of art were the “illustrators” of their day. Rubens, Carrivaggio, Rembrandt, Titian, Raphael, El Greco : they all had to turn their talents into bucks. Only in the modern era do we see artist/con-men tricking money out of governments, and rich private sources with the inane validations of their own importance so they can continue to play with perfectly good art materials instead of working for a living. All this without any talent to speak of –certainly not the skill, dedication, and wondrous wits of the modern illustrator.

My own fine art has been divorced from income production. I still work, but the motivation is different than before–I’m not constantly asking myself what the rich people want to buy. That game ruins artists. One by one they all drop out in disillusion and disgust. My old art friends have all taken up other occupations. The illustrators are the only ones left when the process plays out–and their talents soar with the correct patronage, and their head screwed on right about fine art.

Your article was refreshing–I’m happy to note that these observations are out there in the world of illustration. The profession of illustration should never tolerate playing second fiddle to such an inferior pursuit. That illustration annual that changed my life was about thirty years ago. I am an illustrator by choice–far and above being a mere fine artist.