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.
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Copper, Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Stone, Sandstone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paste, Ink, Acrylic, Fabric
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Porcelain, Screen, Mixed Media, Board
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century 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
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Tempera, Pencil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Linen
Artist Comments
Gestural strokes of solid gold spread against a black surface. This energetic piece has a continuously shifting luminosity that is dependent on the viewer’s vantage point. "It provides an infinitely evolving viewing experience," says artist M. Clark. She rendered this piece using a technique where gold foil is sculpted using heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. The edges are finished in gold foil creating a halo effect around the artwork as light reflects off the sides of the piece.
About the Artist
M. Clark manipulates metallic foil in order 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
Canvas, Wax, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A modern abstract painting defined by a pleasing grid structure and cool colors overlaid with warm tones. "This piece is pure geometric abstraction that incor...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"This piece is about the universal feeling of comfort to sing lullabies and memories of childhood," shares artist Tomo Mori. "I make tiles with fabrics, then ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
This piece is a continuation of artist Terri Bell's Geometria Grid series. A playful rendition, it incorporates simple geometric shapes in organic and interes...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
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
Mixed Media
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
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Pigment
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Burlap, Jute, Cardboard
Artist Comments
"This composition is segmented in horizontal strips, each featuring different shapes, textures, and a transition of colors," states artist Terri Bell. "There ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
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
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Paper, Panel, Digital
Artist Comments
Artist Joey Korom utilizes different media to create this compelling abstract collage. Joey carefully layers his materials with mindfulness of proportions, mathematics, and with adept handling of colors and textures. He used five types of cardboard, paper, fabric, sandpaper, the inclusion of antique sheet music...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Thoughtfully assembling different elements, artist John Gardner creates a backdrop of turquoise, converging all his components in the middle. A grid creates ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Stone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Clay, Polymer
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Chalk, Tempera
Artist Comments
"This piece was inspired by a narrow alley in San Francisco's China town," says artist Terri Bell. Inspired by the vibrant colors and the crowded streets full...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Panel, Wood Panel, Paper
2010s 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
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Ink, Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil
Artist Comments
A rhythmic abstract expressionist painting in looping strokes of green, black, white and peach, with a special crackle finish to add a weathered appearance. For Courtney Jacobs...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
A layered modern abstract in complementary colors of black, white and chartreuse. "I applied rectangular pieces of paper to a painted surface, over which I ap...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Lithograph, Digital Pigment, Pencil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media