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.
$13,700
Cloudstack - Large Oversized Red Contemporary Geometric Metal Steel Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely manipula...
Metal, Steel
$6,630
7 Folded Circles - Large Red Steel Tall Geometric Indoor Outdoor Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' modern industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely m...
Metal, Steel
Paul Manes - Untitled Landscape, Painting 2024
By Paul Manes
Located in Stamford, CT
Paul Manes was born May 4, 1948, in Austin, Texas. He began his professional career in New York City in the early 1980s. His art has been widely exhibited in America and Europe and h...
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Impermanence Series n7 and n6, Diptych. From the Impermanence series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In the Kingdom of Transience, everything is temporary, subject to constant change. Everything is unstable and volatile like the wind. The precariousness of our existence reminds us t...
Canvas, Ink, Pigment
$635
Caribbean Sea - Original Textured Blue Tone Abstract Landscape Artwork Framed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The delicate and poetic artworks of painter Frederic Paul reference his Asian roots in expressive and elaborate compositions. Inspired by the bold colors, spices, flora, and landscap...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Rice Paper
Stout No Doubt - Abstract Modern Organic Shape Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Ivory Gold - Mixed Media Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kristina Fjellman, a Minnesota-based visual artist and performer, seamlessly blends sculpture and performance art in her captivating work. With exhib...
Steel, Wire
$5,400
Wandering Backwards I Reach The End - Large Blue Figurative Abstract Original
By Jonas Fisch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swedish artist Jonas Fisch’s imagery is vibrantly buzzing with colorful commentary on society - past and present - morphed into figures, words, and shapes. His heavily layered canvas...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Fabric
Natural Flow Series n7 and n6 Diptych. Abstract Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Flow is the ability of liquids to continually move from one place to another. Also, It means accepting each situation as it is. The movement of the liquid comes from life, it is natu...
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Watercolor, Pigment
$315
Layers on Layers - Colorful Framed Impasto Textural Thick Paint Abstract Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic
Untitled 15 and Untitled 16. From the Mexican Ryōan-ji Series.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Ryōan-ji is the Japanese Zen temple in Kyoto, a monastery that gave rise to the idea of the purely abstract Zen garden that inspired this series Francisco Larios’ works are done by...
Gold Leaf
Running Wild - Large Contemporary Color Drenched Abstract Organic Shape Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Sincroplastia. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The paintings resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of rationality. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with expre...
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Untitled 8. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"Ritmos Abstratos" invites us to explore the visual universe of the artist Juan Carlos Amador, who, through his unique perspective, translates the pulsations of space and the invisi...
Canvas, Oil
$18,000
Sam Gilliam - Monoprint with collage acrylic stitching & embossing Signed Framed
By Sam Gilliam
Located in New York, NY
Monoprint with screenprint, collage, acrylic, stitching and embossing in colors on handmade paper, 1994, signed, dated, titled, and numbered 10/40 (each unique) in black and silver i...
Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Rag Paper, Screen
Original Painting on Canvas Titled: "PDP 1147” 48 x 60
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Painting on Panel signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa Springs, Colora...
Acrylic
Abstract Geometric Composition with Paper, Fibers, and Acrylic on Canvas (Green)
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract Geometric Composition with Handmade Paper, Fibers and Acrylic on Canvas Whimsical abstract composition by an unknown artist (20th Century). Lime green acrylic paint makes u...
Jute, Acrylic, Washi Paper
Cheers to Life! - Silver Gold Abstract Textural Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Triptych: Khloris 007, 003 and 002. From The Series Khloris
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The central concept of Larios painting series KHLORIS is based on the idea of the garden as a metaphorical space. Larios seeks to find a certain romantic beauty in the details of n...
Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
$1,345
New York Taxi - Abstract Textural Colorful Layered Action Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
Crossing Stripes - Colorful Abstract Geometric Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textu...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Best Laid Plan (Mixed Media Collage on Board in Bright Colors)
Located in Hudson, NY
Best Laid Plan (Mixed Media Collage on Board in Bright Colors), made by Hudson Valley based artist, Donise English, in 2025 mixed media collage on board, framed Image size: 20.50 x 2...
Wood, Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Pencil, Color Pencil
Hushed Moment 5
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I’m painting and let my intuition be my guide. I love laying do...
Encaustic
$15,016
Rose Madone Large Abstract Diptych with Bold Black Gestural Forms on Raw Canvas
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Onirisme organique (Diptych), 146 × 114 cm each panel, Acrylic on raw canvas. Total size of the two panels: 146 × 228 cm. At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highe...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment
A Beautiful Story - Original Impasto Textural Thick Paint Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Please Leave Us Alone (Abstract Minimalist Light Grey 3-D Wall Sculpture)
By Dai Ban
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract minimalist three-dimensional wall sculpture in light grey and black "Please Leave Us Alone" by Dai Ban, 2020 29 x 24 x 10 inches Precision board, Venetian Plaster, Beeswax, Pigment Lightweight sculpture (weighs about 5 lbs.) and hangs on the wall with a French cleat Excellent condition and ready to hang as is Signed, verso This contemporary, abstract horizontal wall sculpture...
Plaster, Foam Board, Pigment
$375
Juicy Marks - Colorful Impasto Textural Thick Paint Framed Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic
Sunset of Dreams - Large Vibrant Orange Mixed Media Landscape Framed Artwork
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring is a contemporary painter specializing in vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday m...
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
No Easy Way Out
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is part of a series titled The Essence of Nature. The series is recognized by bold brushstrokes and markmaking, multiple layers and depth, plus the use of complementary...
Paint, Charcoal, Varnish, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
Stanley Hayter - Meduse, scarce abstract expressionist etching, Signed/N Framed
Located in New York, NY
Stanley WIlliam (Bill) Hayter Meduse, 1958 High Viscosity Etching & Engraving Pencil signed, titled and numbered from the edition of 50 (10/50) on the front Catalogue Raisonne Bl...
Mixed Media, Etching, Aquatint
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Luz Basica (Framed Abstract Contemporary Mixed Media Painting)
Located in New Orleans, LA
You mostly see giclees or prints of Ivan Reyes' work around, not often an original like this one. I think it makes a real difference - the boldness of the p...
Mixed Media
Transition Patterns, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"This composition is segmented in horizontal strips, each featuring different shapes, textures, and a transition of colors," states artist Terri Bell. "There ...
Mixed Media
Pat Lay, DM414161212, 2016, Rice Paper, Digital Print
By Pat Lay
Located in Darien, CT
In the last decade Pat Lay’s artwork has focused on technological metaphors of the human experience. In this series of digital collages, digital images scanned from computer circuit ...
Silver Leaf
$795
Love Season - Dreamy Romantic Abstract Textural Soft Blush Tone Floral Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,200
Bee (Lucio Fontana slash oil painting abstract contemporary impasto yellow art)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
keywords; materiality, texture, oil painting, contemporary painting, ooze, perforation, Lucio Fontana, process-based, repetition, abstract painting, patterns, impasto, yellow, bee, p...
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Screen tbd7 (gold metallic abstract grid wood painting contemporary natural)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
In Melisa’s optical and pulsating compositions, the natural world acts as blue-print while she explores the notion of the sublime through blur and precision. The artist develops an a...
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
Unique abstraction (Abstract Expressionist color field painting) Signed, Framed
By Lamar Briggs
Located in New York, NY
Lamar Briggs Untitled color abstraction, ca. 2008 Mixed media oil and gouache on paper Hand signed by Lamar Briggs on the lower center front Frame included: held in the original off ...
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil, Gouache
"Chambray Sea 12", An Original Abstract Seascape Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This contemporary abstract painting by Karin Olah, titled Chambray Sea 12, captures the quiet drama of an ocean horizon beneath a luminous sky. The composition layers acrylic paint a...
Fabric, Textile, Canvas, Linen, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Sagrada Dualidad I. Oil on canvas
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The works produced under the name Sacred Duality are inspired by recognizing the impermanent nature of all things and being aware that nothing is static. Appreciating that continuous...
Canvas, Oil
$3,550
Raspberry Shimmer Pyrites (plum red cubic, tabletop sculpture, geometric, wood)
By Chloe Hedden
Located in Quebec, Quebec
This series by Chloe Hedden and Bill Hedden explores the growth forms of the mineral pyrite. Pyrite or 'fools gold' grows in organic ever expanding interconnected cubes. This father...
Wood, Alkyd
A365 - Original Blue Painting Abstract Contemporary on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An important aspect of my artwork is the removal of my own artistic hand. Instead of controlling and demanding the paint move and act a certain way, I let the paint naturally manifest and express its pure form/ true colors/ most natural movement.” Schmidli's work is known for its sensitive surfaces and subtle textures. He has developed specialized techniques for applying and layering color, giving depth to his paintings. This 35 inch high by 28 inch wide, and 1.75-inch deep original artwork is an abstract composition in acrylic paint on wood. This artwork is wired and ready to hang. Schmidli uses acrylic paint to create the deep tonality of his colorful works. It is signed and dated on the back. Free local Los Angeles delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and worldwide shipping available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included. Schmidli studied photography and fine art in Switzerland and Rome. He worked as a photographer and painter in Zurich and then in 1989 he moved to California. Schmidli has been creating large scale artworks since. He has developed specialized techniques for applying and layering color. His artworks have been featured in the film and entertainment industry, such as fashion photography, celebrity portraits, music videos, films, editorials, and at red carpet events. Schmidli has set a new standard for large scale contemporary abstract works in Los Angeles. His original paintings have appeared in highly respected magazine publications, such as Vogue, Flaunt, and Harper’s Bazaar. His work has also been featured in fashion spreads of iconic international brands such as Nike and Balenciaga. REPRESENTATION Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, USA CLIENT LIST ADVERTISING Acura, Aveda, Bath & Body Works, Bloomingdales, Cost Plus, Covergirl, Heather Levine, JC Penny, Loehmann's, Lord and Taylor, Macy's, Mazda, MGM Resorts International, Neiman Marcus, Noah's Bagels, Nordstrom, O.P.I., Oakley, Porsche, QVC, Saks Fifth Avenue, Silverman Group, Sketchers, Smashbox Beauty, Sprint, Stila. EDITORIAL Architectural Digest, Cosmo Girl, Cosmopolitan, Details, Elle Décor, Elle, Empire Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, ESPN, Esquire, Essence, Forbes Life, Giant, Glamour, Golf Digest, Good Housekeeping, GQ, Hearst Magazine, House Beautiful, Instyle, Ladies Home Journal, Latina Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Lucky, Martha Stewart Living, Maxim, Men’s Vogue, New York Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Oprah Magazine, Parade, Parents, People, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Seventeen, Shape, Spin, Sports Illustrated, Teen People, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Town & Country, US Magazine, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wonderland, Women’s Wear Daily FASHION Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, BCBG, BEBE, Bluefly, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Chrome Hearts, David Yurman, Delia’s, Eileen Fisher, INC, FIDM, Fredricks of...
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,179
Head
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1969 Edition : 60/300 Publisher : Edition Prisunic (Paris) Printer : Imprimerie Clot, Bramsen & Georges (Paris) Catalog : [Rivière 49, p.67] 65.50 cm. x 48.00 cm. 25...
Lithograph
$48,985
Frank Stella, Whitney Museum exhibited graphic work with Label, Signed/N, Framed
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Frank Stella (Whitney Museum Exhibited) Shards IVA (Axsom 151), 1982 Lithograph & Silkscreen on Arches Cover Paper (Whitney Museum exhibition label verso of frame) 45 1/2 × 39 1/...
Mixed Media, Lithograph, Screen
"Semiotic 91-C" Ida Kohlmeyer, Abstract, Colorful, Mixed Media
Located in New York, NY
Ida Kohlmeyer Semiotic 91-C, 1991 Signed and dated lower right Mixed media on canvas 78 x 52 3/4 inches Provenance The artist Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana Private Co...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Veil of Dusk
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I’m painting and let my intuition be my guide. I love laying do...
Encaustic
$1,775
Fils I Colors DCLXXXI - Abstract Contemporary Colorful Textile Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Barcelona native artist Raul de la Torre's vibrant abstract mixed media artworks pay homage to textiles. De La Torre allows the materials to take over during the process and collabor...
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Places, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Terri Bell expresses an emotional abstraction of fragmented feelings. These small recollections span universally and happen to every one of us. She pai...
Mixed Media
Venus - Ethereal Abstract Textural Floral Painting in Blush, Coral and Gold
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Subsurface
Located in New York, NY
John Vitale is a young abstract artist to watch with an expressive, intuitive voice. He works on many canvases at once, moving between them, adding brushstrokes in acrylic paint, hou...
House Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Pencil
Hesperides 001 and Hesperides 004, Diptych. Abstract Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The central concept of Larios painting series KHLORIS is based on the idea of the garden as a metaphorical space. Larios seeks to find a certain romantic beauty in the details of n...
Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
$396Sale Price|20% Off
Geometric Line Study C - 7 by Murray Duncan Mix Media on paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Geometric Line Studies C- 7 is an original mixed-media work on paper by Toronto artist Murray Duncan, part of his ongoing exploration of gestural geometry, spatial rhythm, and atmosp...
Paint, Paper, Ink, Pencil
$8,500
Fils I Colors DCXCIV - Large Colorful Abstract Contemporary Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Barcelona native artist Raul de la Torre's vibrant abstract mixed media artworks pay homage to material. De La Torre allows the materials to take over during the process and collabor...
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$544Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled #202 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #202 by Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" x 40” Unframed, signed A bold mixed-media work with dynamic lines and textures. This captivating piece by Murray Dunc...
Acrylic, Oil Pastel, Glaze
$544Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled #112 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #112 by Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" x 40” Unframed, signed A bold mixed-media work with dynamic lines and textures. This captivating piece by Murray Dunc...
Acrylic, Oil Crayon, Glaze
Ragisména series White M11, Abstract Wall Sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Ragisména which in Greek means cracked, has its materiality manifested through the desire to recreate and make feelings, memories and mythology tangible in the physical world. The wo...
Canvas, Plaster
$300Sale Price|50% Off
Sky Holes - Colorful Wood Sculpture Organic Blue Red Abstract Wall Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This original geometric abstract wall sculpture by Rebecca Klundt is a 16-inch square mixed media artwork, constructed from reclaimed wood and finished with acrylic paint. Featurin...
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Lab #7, #6 and #11 Painting. From the Lab series
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"The work explores the interconnection between organic nature and circuits, reflecting the relationships between human beings. On the canvas, organic shapes are displayed that evoke ...
Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
In The Distance, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"It's a muted meditative exploration of how physical distance, as well as the distance created by the passage of time, affects our experiences of memory and p...
Mixed Media
Lily of the Valley - Original Framed Floral Art on Antique Botanical Book Page
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring focuses his contemporary paintings on vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday momen...
Paper, Mixed Media
104-24
Located in Los Angeles, CA
According to the artist, "everything in life inspires me, not quite with direct interpretation, but as I see and experience faces, words, gestures, colors and shapes – all of it – I ...
Oil, Wood Panel