Paula Riff —Blue is not the sky

Blue is not the sky, is an exploration of color, form and design through experimental and cameraless photography. I use the historical processes of cyanotype and gum bichromate to imagine the universe through the world of abstraction, as a place where all possible shapes, forms and colors coexist.

I am inspired by abstract painters and the experimental photographers of the early 1920’s who created abstract images with the intention of moving beyond the medium’s ability to reproduce reality. My vision is to create a different reality by letting go of any preconceived ideas of photography. I seek to consider art in its purest form by looking at the fundamental elements of shapes and lines while giving homage to the beauty and simplicity of abstraction.

Paula Riff is a Los Angeles based artist known for creating one of a kind cameraless photographic works on paper that embrace bold colors, form and design. She combines the historical processes of cyanotype and gum bichromate allowing her a physical and intimate relationship with the materials that she uses to push the boundaries of the medium while considering themes of abstraction and the natural world.

Paula graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Japanese language and worked as an interpreter in Tokyo, Japan for several years. Returning to Los Angeles, she switched careers after gaining an internship at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the photo department. Her work was selected as a Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist in 2019, the Top 50 Critical Mass Award of 2018 and a 2018 finalist for the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women in the Alternative Process Category. Her work has appeared in numerous museums, galleries, publications and exhibitions throughout the U.S and internationally. Paula’s work is also held in private collections.

For more information, please contact Paula Riff at: paulariff13@gmail.com or visit: www.paulariff.com
Interview with Paula Riff here