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.
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21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Porcelain, Ink
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gesso, Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Masonite, Varnish, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Adhesive, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silver, Enamel, Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
A linear and tactile grid in earthy tones evokes the sensation of uncovering archaeological finds. The patterns resemble ancient writings found on cave walls,...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Glue, Gouache
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Rag Paper, Monotype, Handmade Paper, Ink
Artist Comments
An abstract minimalist composition is divided into two distinct patterned sections. Detailed lines and irregular circles define the upper area, while small, t...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Archival Ink, Archival Paper
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Etching, Aquatint, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mirror, Film
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Tempera
Artist Comments
Artist Yamilet Sempe presents a dragonfly in an abstract body of water. She regards the winged insect as a totem symbol of life. "In almost the whole world it...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Glue
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Masonite, Screen
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Pastel, Pencil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Spray Paint, Wood Panel, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
Artist Comments
Bold fluorescent colors weave through the composition, shifting between recognizable shapes and abstract forms. The haunting imagery reveals drips, dots, and ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gesso, Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Plywood, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Ink, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Fabric, Silk
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic, Board
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paste, Fabric, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Color Pencil, Graphite
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Chalk, House Paint, Acrylic, Board, Laid Paper
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
This contemporary abstract combines paint and paper collage to create a textured linear pattern in the lower portion of the artwork. The top section features ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas, Thread