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.
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Adhesive, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Textile, Canvas, Linen, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Acrylic
Early 1900s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Giclée
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Canvas, Fabric, Textile
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax, Encaustic
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Watercolor, Gouache, Tissue Paper
Artist Comments
I call this technique 'canvas mosaic' which I developed over the last nine years. The square shapes are cut and painted pieces of canvas fabric that I adhered to the stretched canvas. Initially inspired by digital pixels, but harkens back to traditional mosaic making. In Japan, we use red string...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Color, Lithograph
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant multi-layered mixed media abstract of a heart in black, yellow, orange, red, purple, and gold by artist Linda Shaffer. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
Dynamic colors create an abstract picture of an impending storm throwing a landscape into disarray. Artist Tim Engelhardt wrestled with this painting through mu...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Glue, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Paper, Monoprint, Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Latex, Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Fiberboard
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Thread, Plastic, Acrylic, Pins
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Color Pencil, Graphite, Paint, Pencil, Newsprint, Cardboard, Watercolor,...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
An abstract painting showcases various shades of turquoise, featuring bold, dynamic brushstrokes that create a rich, three-dimensional texture. Sinuous lines ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax Crayon, India Ink, Encaustic, Color Pencil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Crayon, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paint, Oil
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wood, House Paint, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Magazine Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Plaster, Glaze, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint
Artist Comments
Two glowing orbs collide in a burst of light, bridging a cosmic divide between deep blues and radiant oranges. The contrasting vibrant colors create an ethereal...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Drawn to its deep spiritual symbolism, the color blue inspires artist Yamilet Sempe to create this abstract painting. It represents serenity, tranquility, and d...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Textile, Canvas, Linen, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wire
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint