I had written about two shows at SF MoMA that I hadn’t been able to see due to pandemic. Finally I got to see them. Though I had been deep into the Joan Mitchell archive and bio this summer, I was still unprepared for the riotous color and wild abandon of the work and its very emotional effect. One photo of Mitchell (far right) with other members of the Saddle and Cycle club in Chicago of 1935 when she was only 10 years old reminded me that even as she declared for poetry or painting at an early age, her autocratic father, though determined she should be exposed to art, had pushed her towards more socially acceptable pursuits like riding and ice skating. In this colorized photo that appeared in the local paper, Mitchell already stands out with her slouchy pose and ubiquitous glasses. All eyes are on her.