"Drive Back to the 50s"

By Taylor Asbury

18"x24" Oil Paint on Canvas

April 12, 2022.

We were like olives in a jar
And we'd go out every night
With the whole gang packed in tight
In my cozy little compact car

- "Cozy Little Compact Car" by Brian Hyland.

Amidst a run with health issues, this is the friend group that brought me so much joy and embraced me as I was. We took the picture below at a senior ball that they organized as none of the high schools put on any dances throughout our last years of high school. Before the pandemic hit, it was a tradition to get milkshakes at a local 50s themed diner after every school dance. My car is a 50s edition, and in this time I discovered my love for 50s music. When my health declined, we would go on drives and listen to this music- as they knew I couldn't help but sing along- and then make fun of teen beach movies from the 50s. This painting is the world they would take me to when times were hard. I like to think that they were my defense, that they are staring down and intimidating the attacks on my body.