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.
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold, Brass
Artist Comments
A modern abstraction mixing organic and hard-edge surfaces, in soft blues and white and bold black. "Once Upon a Time is a bit whimsical - a story being told,...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Panel, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Jodi Dann captures an exciting gift from nature. A sweet little bird made a nest out of horse tail hair in her backyard, inspiring her to create a coll...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Tissue Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint
Artist Comments
Strong simple shapes create a figurative abstract in artist Gail Ragains's piece. An impression of a nude woman sits on a stool with her back hunched in conte...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silk
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Archival Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Tapestry, Thread, Dye, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Panel, Archival Paper, Inkjet
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silk
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Plexiglass, Ink
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Archival Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Gouache
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Tempera
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Pigment
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Paper
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Alabaster, Sandstone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Gail Ragains captures a model mid-pose, depicting her figure with a blend of collage papers, acrylic glazes, and oil pastels. The vibrant color combina...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Part of artist Terri Bell's grid series, this piece incorporates geometric shapes into organic arrangements. The painting's complex color palette and grid uni...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Patricia builds her compositions intuitively with palette knives, blending colors and developing texture directly on the surface of her panels. She describes ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silk
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Clay, Polymer
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Laid Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic, India Ink, Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Giclée
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Silk
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Stone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wool, Cotton