Why I Use Colored Paper as a Background for My Abstract Photographs

I’ve consistently used colored paper as the background of my abstract photographs because it is one of the characters in my works. There’s something pure and unfussy about placing aluminum foil on colored paper that results in images that are authentic, evocative, bold, and engaging.

I like the way the background in my photos creates negative space, frames the foil, or becomes a shape of its own. I love the juxtaposition of a more solid background with some kind of other element on it. There is an entrancing interplay between the color of the paper and the foil and how they tell a story together.

I’m really drawn to serendipitous moments in art. Light has an opportunity to bounce of the colored paper and foil and create all kinds of fascinating highlights and shadows. Colored paper and foil complement one another beautifully and bring me joy as I’m creating my photos and when I see the finished work.

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