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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Artist Comments
Part of artist John Gardner's newest series of mixed media works. He presents a conceptual collage featuring a minimalistic presen...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Ceramic, Screen, Porcelain
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Panel, Pencil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Lithograph
Artist Comments
Layers of liquid gold metal applied in expressionist strokes over geometric black and white stripes. Thick, painterly texture provides numerous angles to refl...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic, Plywood
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Plywood, Oil, Acrylic, Board
Artist Comments
Agata vividly remembers a quiet walk she took alone along the coast. "The beauty of that place," she recalls. "A feeling that I will never forget. The fog and...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Libby Ramage is on a perpetual hunt for interesting wine labels to use for her art. "These two deeply colored Cabernet labels with the white secondary labels suggested to me passion in the quest for peace," shares Libby. "Is the dove out of their reach or just released? The eternal search for a peaceful existence is very much present in my own life as well as globally. Personally, I am working to keep myself healthy and the anxiety of our times at bay. Wine and art definitely help."
About the Artist
Libby Ramage infuses a playful and whimsical mood into her works. In fact, she credits the children she works with for greatly influencing her aesthetic. She often uses children’s abandoned work in her collages. Libby currently lives in New Jersey and finds inspiration in the work of Rauschenberg. She believes collectors should buy from the heart.
Words that describe this painting: wine labels, dove, bird, people, peace, cabernet sauvignon, small, paper, mixed media, expressive, expressionism, collage, primitive, couple, expressionism, people, mixed media artwork, red
La Paloma...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
“This painting was inspired by love and gift-giving," says artist Linda Shaffer. "When we love someone we like to give them pre...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"As this title suggests there is a contest being waged here; propriety, sobriety, and chance have their respective roles to play," says artist Joey Korom. "Ca...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Figures emerge from solitude shedding their blues to reconnect with others in a warm bright yellow. "Observing people gathering once more and becoming reacqua...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Tissue Paper, Monotype
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"This piece contains various detailed segments that are balanced within a framework of bright red," describes artist Terri Bell. "There are textural dots and...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Terri Bell often works with defined grids in her paintings. In this creation, Terri allows square and organic spaces to float freely toward the bottom of the composition and outside of the grid lines. The result is an interconnected framework that is unified by linear patterns, textures, and related colors. Part of Terri's ongoing Geometria series.
About the Artist
Artist Terri Bell constructs highly detailed geometric fields that dance to life with engaging colors and soft edges. As a young child, Terri always wanted to paint, draw, or play imaginative games. She entered college as an art major and received important mentorship from several teachers. Unfortunately, it was at this point that Terri’s art career was put on hold. "I had to make a couple of detours along the way, and ended up changing my major to political science," she says, "which led me to work in a high stress, high profile state government position." Terri’s creative pursuits were more limited but ever-present. "Art was the balance in my life and I never gave up my dream." Through hard work and determination, she has returned to her calling as a full-time career artist. When she’s not painting, Terri enjoys cooking, container gardening, and spending time with her husband and two Yorkies.
Words that describe this painting: geometric, Geometria, abstract, organic, linear, lines, grids, dots, ordered, box, abstract, mixed media artwork
Stepping Out of Line...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Brit says her inspiration for this piece was the William Faulkner quote, "You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the cour...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A dynamic mixed media abstract in shades of yellow, gold, white, and black, and embedded with an assortment of hand-printed papers and monoprints. “This paint...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wool, Cotton, Wood
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Board
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
Artist Comments
A vibrant multi-layered mixed media abstract in shades of blue, black, orange, and embedded with hand-printed paper and monoprints. “This piece was inspired by the butterflies outside my studio window,” says artist Linda Shaffer. “Nevada has its own population of monarchs which migrate hundreds of miles to the coast of California and return to breed here on milkweed plants every year.”
About the Artist
Artist Linda Shaffer creates intricately layered abstract collages based on her worldly travels. "My defining art moment was when I was eleven years old and I got to visit Van Briggle Pottery in Colorado Springs," says Linda. "I watched mesmerized as the potter working on the wheel created a beautiful piece of art as if by magic from a lump of brown wet mud. I knew someday I would create those beautiful pieces of magic." After high school, Linda became a registered nurse. On her days off, she made pottery at a local studio. As her nursing career progressed – from labor and delivery to ICU and trauma, and then college nursing – she returned to school for her bachelor’s in business administration. Every elective she chose was an art class, and she built her own clay studio. Eventually, Linda earned her master’s in public health and became a tenured college professor. She was delighted that the job allowed her to take art classes every semester, where she discovered painting and printmaking. Linda retired early from teaching and wanted to learn more about fine jewelry, so she attended the Gemological Institute of America. Since 2011, she has been working full-time as a painter and jeweler. When Linda's not making art, she enjoys golfing with a close circle of friends. She's made two hole-in-ones and plans for more.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, hearts, butterfly, animal, abstract, animals, mixed media artwork, blue
Out My Window...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Melissa Gannon created this piece as her interpretation of High Rocks Canyon in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. "Thousands of wagons traveled through ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Pastel, Gouache
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Sandstone
Artist Comments
“This piece was inspired by my love of the water, traveling to play, and scuba dive in oceans around the world," shares artist Linda Shaffer. She combines dyn...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Liquid silver metal painted in directional palette knife strokes over a white ground. "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
Found Objects, Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Canvas
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Pigment
Artist Comments
"This piece is like magnified images of the inner constellations of neurons, thought forms, and connections," shares artist Maya Malioutina. A minimalist mode...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A vibrant mixed media painting in turquoise, blues, neutrals, and red, with hand-printed paper and original images embedded into the layers of paint. "This pa...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Linda Shaffer created this layered abstract based on her travels. "Within it are metallic papers and diary papers from an antique shop, as well as writ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Margriet Hogue's process involves layering handmade papers and acrylic paint, which she then sands and scrapes giving the work a rich aged surface. In...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
Artist Comments
A modern abstract recalling the colors and shapes of a snowy day. Artist Margriet Hogue layered paint and various types of paper...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"He would strut into the bar trying to capture the eye of the women," says artist Darlene McElroy. "With his swagger, cool clothes, and sparkle, he played the odds." A playful cowboy portrait in Darlene's Cast of Characters series.
About the Artist
Darlene McElroy sees creating art as similar to reading Turkish coffee grounds. A story becomes revealed as one looks at the surface, texture and color. Her works use a variety of materials ranging from acrylic paints to photo transfers and collage. She currently lives in New Mexico and has been greatly influenced by the work of Robert Rauschenberg. She encourages viewers to search for their narrative interpretation when viewing a work.
Words that describe this painting: man, figurative, cowboy, western, happy, hat, face, mustache, expressionism, people, western, representational, mixed media artwork, yellow
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
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
Artist Comments
"This piece is an exploration on layers while thinking of the ocean and water," says artist Julie Weaverling. "Ever changing, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
When asked about this rich, densely layered abstraction, artist Julie Weaverling described the work as "a view of our histories and lives from a ten thousand ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Wax, Oil
Artist Comments
A densely layered image in blue, black, white and yellow, with intricate texture and mark-making through the surface. "This painting can have dual meanings," ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media