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.
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
House Paint, Magazine Paper, Newsprint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Ceramic, Wood
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
An orb emerges from a burst of reds, oranges, and pinks. Veins of darker lines anchor at the base, while a warm light washes at the top. This artwork reflects a...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache, Permanent Marker
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas, Thread
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Bronze, Copper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Mixed Media, Fabric
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Wood Panel, Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
An overlapping heart pulses with vibrant pink, purple, and gold hues. Energetic lines and splashes enliven the piece, while polka dots and scribbled text lend...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Chalk, Pastel, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Paper, Varnish
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Gouache, Color Pencil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Metal, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Gouache, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Etching, Aquatint, Screen
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
This piece contrasts an irregular, linear mesh grid with small, structured metallic circles. The background, built from layered papers, creates an organic and s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Thread, Ink, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Graphite
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Fabric
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic