Abstract Mixed Media
Beginning in the early 20th century, abstract art became a leading style of modernism. Rather than portray the world in a way that represented reality, as had been the dominating style of Western art in the previous centuries, abstract paintings, prints and sculptures are marked by a shift to geometric forms, gestural shapes and experimentation with color to express ideas, subject matter and scenes.
Although abstract art flourished in the early 1900s, propelled by movements like Fauvism and Cubism, it was rooted in the 19th century. In the 1840s, J.M.W. Turner emphasized light and motion for atmospheric paintings in which concrete details were blurred, and Paul Cézanne challenged traditional expectations of perspective in the 1890s.
Some of the earliest abstract artists — Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint — expanded on these breakthroughs while using vivid colors and forms to channel spiritual concepts. Painter Piet Mondrian, a Dutch pioneer of the art movement, explored geometric abstraction partly owing to his belief in Theosophy, which is grounded in a search for higher spiritual truths and embraces philosophers of the Renaissance period and medieval mystics. Black Square, a daringly simple 1913 work by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, was a watershed statement on creating art that was free “from the dead weight of the real world,” as he later wrote.
Surrealism in the 1920s, led by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim and others, saw painters creating abstract pieces in order to connect to the subconscious. When Abstract Expressionism emerged in New York during the mid-20th century, it similarly centered on the process of creation, in which Helen Frankenthaler’s expressive “soak-stain” technique, Jackson Pollock’s drips of paint, and Mark Rothko’s planes of color were a radical new type of abstraction.
Conceptual art, Pop art, Hard-Edge painting and many other movements offered fresh approaches to abstraction that continued into the 21st century, with major contemporary artists now exploring it, including Anish Kapoor, Mark Bradford, El Anatsui and Julie Mehretu.
Find original abstract paintings, sculptures, prints and other art on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Graphite
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wood, House Paint
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Ink, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
Artist Comments
"This piece was made in the spring and the colors are reminiscent of it, in particular the fresh greens," says artist Margriet Hogue...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Synthetic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Magazine Paper
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Board, Laid Paper, Color
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A layered modern abstract in complementary colors of black, white and chartreuse. "I applied rectangular pieces of paper to a painted surface, over which I ap...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Acrylic, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"This painting was inspired by flowers in the context of relationships," says artist Linda Shaffer. "Flowers are often the first gesture in a caring relations...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Synthetic Paper
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
Artist Comments
A dynamic modern abstract in natural browns, beiges, cream and white. "This piece is based on the sides of cliffs along a river valley close to where the dino...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Margriet Hogue's process involves layering handmade papers and acrylic paint, which she then sands and scrapes giving the work a rich aged surface. In...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Board, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Gouache
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Crayon, Ink, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A vibrant multi-layered mixed media abstract in shades of blue, black, orange, and embedded with hand-printed paper and monoprints. “This piece was inspired by the butterflies outside my studio window,” says artist Linda Shaffer. “Nevada has its own population of monarchs which migrate hundreds of miles to the coast of California and return to breed here on milkweed plants every year.”
About the Artist
Artist Linda Shaffer creates intricately layered abstract collages based on her worldly travels. "My defining art moment was when I was eleven years old and I got to visit Van Briggle Pottery in Colorado Springs," says Linda. "I watched mesmerized as the potter working on the wheel created a beautiful piece of art as if by magic from a lump of brown wet mud. I knew someday I would create those beautiful pieces of magic." After high school, Linda became a registered nurse. On her days off, she made pottery at a local studio. As her nursing career progressed – from labor and delivery to ICU and trauma, and then college nursing – she returned to school for her bachelor’s in business administration. Every elective she chose was an art class, and she built her own clay studio. Eventually, Linda earned her master’s in public health and became a tenured college professor. She was delighted that the job allowed her to take art classes every semester, where she discovered painting and printmaking. Linda retired early from teaching and wanted to learn more about fine jewelry, so she attended the Gemological Institute of America. Since 2011, she has been working full-time as a painter and jeweler. When Linda's not making art, she enjoys golfing with a close circle of friends. She's made two hole-in-ones and plans for more.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, hearts, butterfly, animal, abstract, animals, mixed media artwork, blue
Out My Window...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Graphite, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Monoprint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Paper, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
Artist Comments
“This piece was inspired by my love of the water, traveling to play, and scuba dive in oceans around the world," shares artist Linda Shaffer. She combines dyn...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A vibrant multi-layered mixed media abstract in black, yellow, red, and gold by artist Linda Shaffer. Embedded with hand-printed ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite, Paste, Paper
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Graphite, Oil
Artist Comments
A vibrant multi-layered mixed media abstract in pink, black, and green embedded with an assortment of hand-printed papers and monoprints. “This piece was insp...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Crayon, Ink
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Found Objects, Mixed Media, Washi Paper, Magazine Paper
Artist Comments
A flowing abstract panorama with multiple layers of paint, hand-printed paper, washi paper, and original images. Artist Linda Shaffer...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Liquid gold metal painted in an intricate web of curving, looping and pooling lines. Thick texture provides numerous angles to reflect light. The edges of the piece are finished in gold. Created by carefully manipulating metallic foil with heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. This is a highly specialized and unique technique developed by artist M. Clark to achieve her goals of bending light and drawing out distinctive elements in the foil. The work is very luminous and will display individual characteristics in different lighting situations.
About the Artist
M. Clark sculpts metallic foil with heat and pressure to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
