I have several objects atop a rectangular backdrop, and I'd like to select them all via drag-selection (ie, creating a rectangle selection box around them).

Problem is: anywhere I can start the rectangle, the backdrop gets selected and my dragging just moves that.

Wondering if there's another solution besides the ones I've already deduced:

1. start selection off-artboard or on a locked object, then deselect items i don't want
2. be more judicious about locking background items (not an unworkable solution, but inconvenient in this project.

I'm asking mainly b/c, in Inkscape, holding down Ctrl makes your dragging automatically a selection box, avoiding this problem. My hope is that there's something similar in illustrator.

Thanks!