Photoessay #1914 - Passing Through

And abstract expressionism. which I might have mixed up with abstract impressionism (thank you wikipedia).

I'm struggling with my writing right now. I worked on doing a lot of submissions in December which has resulted in a lot of rejections. I found an online criticism group and submitted my piece "The San Gabriel Valley", got a lot of good feedback. Some questioned what the piece is really about. I decided to deconstruct it and make it into an essay with the theme 'Passing through'.

I have four 'parts'

Myself passing through time as my children grow up

My parents passing through the San Gabriel Valley in the 1950s unwittingly participating in the destruction of the citrus groves (originally in 'The San Gabriel Valley'.

An account of myself at age 11 on a trip to the east coast going to an art gallery (could have been Yale University Art Gallery) with my relatives as we all struggled to understand the abstract expression pieces on display. Canvases with just one blue square on them, etc Were these really art? My view that this WAS art as it was in the gallery not realizing until 50 years later that abstract expressionism was just passing through.

Myself coming of age in the midst of counterculture in California (I was 17 in 1969), my enthusiasms for parts of it and we passed each were passing through taking bits of it with use.

I really wanted some lyrics, considering using some 'catch the wind' and making wind/breeze mentions throughout. But don't know if that's a bit too precious.

I want to add some dialogue to the art gallery part. I know I have to guess at the art gallery, make up what could have been on the walls and what my relatives might have said to advance the story.

But writing comes with struggle and strife.

Picture of Hans Hoffman "The Gate" 1959 from the wikipedia site.