There is a distinction between intentional minimalism, and expressive abstraction. In most cases the two types of art are easy to identify.

My work may read as expressive at the cost of its true intentional visual abstraction.

There are shape relationships that work to identify forms, and delineate shapes. However, I also use strong color to work against what seem to be positive forms. Because I use a limited palette there are optical forces that work to unify the limited color. This flattens the work. If there were more colors or different values of the same color the work would gain dimension. Our eyes try to make up for what is not there. This causes visual interest and movement across the work.

There is a disparity between hues that causes intentional confusion within the painting. I usually have two light, two mid-tone, and at least one dark color in any given painting. Regardless of what the color might be when I paint-certain colors may read as negative space depending on the relationship of light tones to dark. For example, if I paint a larger area of the lightest tone it may read as empty space. However, if I strengthen that same lighter color with a strong shape with supporting shapes around the lighter color it will read as a positive shape with that same color reading as a highlight.

The same effect can happen when using the darkest tone. If there is a larger undefined area of space that is surrounded by more defined areas of lighter colors the dark area becomes a negative space which further enhances the positive forms.

The intent is to create pure color shape relationships within a two dimensional plane.
There is a visual context that only exists in ones experience with the colors and shapes present. Because of this most people do not have a good reference point. We do not often see shapes in undefined terms, and color in its purity. That lack of context allows the painting to exist in the context of pure concept of visual balance.