bY Mark David Blum, Esq.

There is a new kind of art rising up in society. I have dubbed it “internet art”. It is not those stupid kittens or funny captioned pictures or the zillions of photographs posted every day. Internet art is the creative collection of a person’s works that draws and maintains a collective following over a sustained period of time.

I am an internet artist. Whether I am any good at it is for others to decide. On my facebook friends list, there are some who know me more than 10 and 15 years. These are people I have never met in person but who have followed me and my writings since I first landed in the Matrix back in 1992. They have been loyal supporters and critics and have played catch with a spear regardless of how bad it gets. Even the great musicians have their side B.

My art is akin to a DJ. By mixing up news, views, attitudes, muses, and cognitive dissonance, people follow my stories. It is the collective mix of writings, news, pictures, songs, and debate that keeps my audience’s eye. I know at times I come off arrogant, snobbish, snotty, aggressive, and very offensive. This I cannot deny. Some think I am an asshole. That I too cannot deny. I come from a long line of assholes and I can be very good at it. People who know me or do business with me know otherwise. But on the internet, even my closest friends will get an occasional pie in the face.

It is kinda like putting on a show and having an audience. I do this with juries and court rooms. But that is work and I don’t have the latitude and freedom that I do when I am off duty and not acting as a lawyer. My art is interactive. The death of my art would be silence and nobody responding. Not every person likes every thing but there is something for everybody. My following is loyal and I try and live up to expectations. I also attempt humility and even humor at times, but those are the hardest. Art of any kind demands its practitioners to open up and give of themselves regardless of how much it may hurt. We have to not care if our art offends others. It is our expression.

The truly best part is that really enjoy it when I hit the mark with my audience. Drawing out the otherwise silent lurker gives me the warm fuzzies and I know I scored. The ultimate compliment comes in the form of, “I normally disagree with you, but ,…”

“Sing us a song. You’re the piano man.” (Billy Joel)

“The piano has been drinking.” (Tom Waits)

Just more random thoughts arising early one morning.