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
Oil, Spray Paint, Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Spray Paint, Panel
Artist Comments
Part of artist Janet Hamilton's signature series exploring geometric lines and color grids. "The paint was applied using knives and carefully placed to create this bold and textured abstract," says Janet. The modernist design explores a rich range of blues interspersed with white on a black background, with mosaic-like accents at irregular intervals.
About the Artist
Janet Hamilton is an abstract expressionist who creates heavily-textured and multi-layered paintings. She is an Illinois-based artist whose studio space is a converted library complete with stained glass windows, a balcony and fireplace. Throughout her portfolio, she demonstrates a mastery over color choice; each palette creates a specific emotion and mood. She builds the texture of her painting with many layers to reflect the emotional depth of her passion-filled process.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, geometric, lines, stripes, textured, modern, abstract, non-representational, modern , mixed media artwork, blue
Navy Stripes...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Gouache, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic, Board
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Bronze
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Ceramic, Glaze, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
This piece is part of my stripes series. It is painted on a gallery wrapped canvas, with finished sides, and comes ready to hang.
About the Artist
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glass, Resin, Glitter, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Giclée
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Gouache, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Gouache, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Gouache, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Panel
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Burlap, Jute, Cardboard
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Board
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Pigment
Artist Comments
"A handsome young man lost in a veiled dreamland," explains artist Darlene McElroy. "Memories of the past, fantasies of the future, and the smells of spring ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble, Sandstone
Artist Comments
Artist Maya Malioutina paints folded petals in gold leaf and adds mild accents of green in the veined background. "This artwork i...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Chalk, Tempera
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Panel, Digital, Monotype, Thread, Wood
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Panel, Latex
Artist Comments
While camping in the Sonoran Desert, artist Crystal DiPietro beholds the sight of the mesas lighting up at dawn. Soft purple shadows cast over the foothills a...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"I've always been fascinated by what people see in my paintings," says artist Patrick O'Boyle. Through collage techniques and expressive paintwork, he demonst...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Joey Korom expresses a vision of medieval sport in this mixed-media composition. He attaches strips of cloth to the canvas representing elements of jou...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Silk
Artist Comments
Liquid silver metal painted in directional palette knife strokes. "Each stroke is purposeful in drawing the eye through the piece," explains M. Clark. Thick, painterly texture provides pleasing angles to reflect light. The edges of the piece are finished in silver. Created by carefully manipulating metallic foil with heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. This is a highly specialized and unique technique developed by M. to achieve her goals of bending light and drawing out distinctive elements in the foil. The work is very luminous and will display individual characteristics in different lighting situations.
About the Artist
M. Clark sculpts metallic foil with heat and pressure to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Pastel, Gouache
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Panel, Pencil
Artist Comments
A face surfaces within the abstract expression of artist Sharon Sieben's striking contemporary portrait. Cold wax mixed with oil constitutes a compelling image of her model in a meditative state. Sharon reminds us that sometimes, especially after a busy day, a quiet moment is most welcomed. "The subject in this portrait would agree," says Sharon.
About the Artist
Sharon Sieben prefers working in a loose, fluid technique and finds inspiration in the most unexpected things. Her parents bought her a set of oil paints when she was ten years old and it sparked her love of art. She especially admires the work of Impressionist artists such as Paul Cezanne because of how they broke tradition. When she's not making art, she enjoys reading and playing classical guitar...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Stone, Sandstone
Artist Comments
As part of artist Patrick O'Boyle's ongoing Ethereal Abstraction series, he painted electric orange against a bright green background and accented with blue. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
An ornate flower crown rests on a young girl's head in artist Darlene McElroy's expressionist portrait. "It is a Hispanic tradition to be offered to the churc...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A minimal, playful composition bringing together elements suggestive of a brief pause in time - a sundial locked in position, a butterfly with wings fully ex...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold
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
Artist Comments
Artist Roman Antopolsky shares a gestural abstract expression of a boat. "The vessel becomes an emissary, an emissary that bec...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax, Encaustic, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Ink, Watercolor
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Oil, Board
