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.
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Aquatint, Screen
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Gouache, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Pencil, Color Pencil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Pencil, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silk
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Patrick O'Boyle exhibits an abstract landscape using a vivid palette. "This painting is purely an abstract reference to places I have sketched on location," says Patrick. He paints with an acrylic wash establishing shapes, color & texture placement. Using collaged material creates interest and draws the viewer closer to the piece.
About the Artist
Patrick O'Boyle primarily paints in a studio, rarely using reference material other than his own thoughts and dreams. He always paints in a series of five - at the end of the fifth painting he revisits and reworks all of them until he feels they're complete. Using extra-long handles on his brushes, Patrick paints at a distance from the canvas so he can see the works evolve as a whole from the one color he starts with to the vibrant array at the end.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, landscape, bright, mixed media, collage, colorful, mark making, abstract, landscape, mixed media artwork, pink
Landscape Abstraction Collage...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silver, Enamel, Gold Leaf
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Ceramic, Plaster, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas, Thread
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Spray Paint, Wood Panel, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Alabaster, Sandstone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Pen
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Stretcher Bars
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Crayon, Ink, Mixed Media
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Laid Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Rag Paper
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Offset
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"This painting was inspired by birds taking flight,” says artist Linda Shaffer. “I love hummingbirds and live in Las Vegas, Nevada where they flourish. They zip all around my back yard and are beautiful to behold.” Linda captures the essence of the creature into a vibrant multi-layered mixed media. She utilized red, turquoise, and blue with hand-printed paper, original images, and washi papers resulting in a dynamic abstract piece.
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, mixed media, collage, hand-printed paper, monoprints, hummingbirds, animal, abstract, animals, mixed media artwork, red
Take Flight...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Paper, Conté, Charcoal, India Ink, Acrylic, Tempera, Watercolor, ...
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Relaxing waves smoothly drift along artist Nava Lundy's tranquil seascape. The direct view renders the composition in an abstract style. Thick impasto paint mimics the energy and movement of the ocean. Nava incorporates sand to create an extra dimension to this seascape.
About the Artist
Nava’s romantic and heavily textured impressionist...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
An intricate assemblage of reclaimed wood, carefully cut and placed together to form a balanced composition that also highlights the character of the individual pieces. "No matter the side, there is a natural middle - a common ground - to meet upon," says artist Heather Patterson. "I bring together materials as disparate as flooring, piano parts, driftwood and crown molding, seeking to visually verbalize the opportunity for unity. Though we are many parts, we can join together to form a new mosaic...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Wood Panel
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Gouache, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paste, Fabric, Acrylic