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.
Artist Comments
A modern abstract inspired by the Color Field paintings of the 1950s. "This piece consists of layers of handmade paper, paint, and powdered pigment," explains artist Margriet Hogue...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
"This painting is about embracing the imperfect, impermanent and incomplete," says Maya. A wall with peeling paint, rusted undertones, a rough texture, forgot...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
Artist Comments
Artist Linda Shaffer presents a lily pond in nine individual monoprints that can be freely arranged in various patterns. An assor...
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
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Pen
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paint
Artist Comments
"This piece incorporates solid grid squares with unusual shapes that form balance and counterbalance," explains artist Terri Bell. Painted in monochromatic de...
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
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paste, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Ink
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Canvas
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
Artist Comments
Artist Tiffany Blaise pictures an expressionist view of a dynamic waterfall. The rapid cascade crashes into a refreshing rainforest stream painted in luminous...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Melissa Gannon explores various methods and techniques in her art career to create a captivating image of ferns and underbrush deep in the woods. Utili...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Silk, Sumi Ink, Pigment, Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
“This painting was inspired by the desire to come together, visit, share, and feel the comfort of good neighbors at the neighborhood block party,†says ar...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Silver
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glass, Resin, Glitter, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Crystal DiPietro depicts a breathtaking view of red paintbrush flowers blooming on the edge of a cliff. She captures Lee Peak and Charleston Peak in th...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A multi-media abstract with subtle blocks of organic and geometric elements by artist Terri Bell. "Each element is unique and contributes to the whole," says ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Paper, Board
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
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
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Roman Antopolsky displays striking shapes in a gestural abstract. "The story behind this canvas is formal and fictional...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Other Medium
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy creates a meditative scene of pink lotus flowers flowing in a harmonious pond. "In stillness, we learn to be present at the moment," conveys...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy paints a closeup of a rose in soft neutrals. The flower exudes romance and delicate grace as it unfolds in elegance. Gold glitter accents the tip of its petals, highlighting the warm undertones of the bloom.
About the Artist
Nava’s romantic and heavily textured impressionist...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Gail Ragains exhibits a gestural abstract of a woman in a state of affecting tenderness. Dynamic layers of collage establish the subject's form gracefu...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Artist Comments
In artist Crystal DiPietro's jeweled-toned impressionist piece, a craggy mountain ridge sits in view. She paints on location at the muddy southwestern mountai...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
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
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
Artist Comments
A dynamic modern abstract in natural browns, beiges, cream and white. "This piece is based on the sides of cliffs along a river valley close to where the dino...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"This piece is named in homage to the Joni Mitchell song People's Parties," explains artist Terri Bell. "In abstract terms, each square has its own characteri...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
