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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2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Alabaster, Sandstone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Pigment
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Diagonal segments split a triangle into four parts. Solid black and orange fill the lower two sections, contrasting with the white spaces above. The minimalistic piece captures artist John Diehl's blend of geometric precision and freehand artistry, marked by simplicity and structural elegance. His focus on equilateral shapes and clean lines creates bold yet understated compositions. The artwork is part of his Flamingo Project, where he explored nomadic art-making by creating and exhibiting art in remote desert locations rather than traditional galleries. John started the series in early 2024 from Palm Springs and culminated in Wonder Valley.The artwork measures 12 by 9 inches, matted and framed to 14 by 11 inches, with a 6 3/4-inch by 5 11/16-inch mat opening and the signature placed beneath the mat.
About the Artist
Artist John Diehl creates large minimalist paintings...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Gouache, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Textile
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Board, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold
1920s Abstract Mixed Media
Porcelain
Artist Comments
Artist Linda Shaffer presents a vibrant, multi-layered abstract representation of a heart. Embedded monoprints, washi papers, mark-making, and original images...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Patrick O'Boyle draws inspiration from a childhood memory of going to the carnival. He paints an abstract interpretation of his jubilant experience. "T...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Paper, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Black, gray, and violet pieces of recycled plastic bags overlap to create an abstract composition. Artist Johnny Karwan heat-infused the material onto a Balti...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Laid Paper, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton, Emulsion, Thread
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Fabric, Thread
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Mixed Media, Thread, Canvas