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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2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Linen, Mixed Media, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Laid Paper, Screen
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Mixed Media, Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Lithograph, Screen
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Masonite, Oil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Bronze, Enamel
Artist Comments
Inspired by abstracted nature, this artwork combines rain-like marks with organic shapes to form a structured composition. Layered papers and subtle neutral w...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Gail Ragains displays a dynamic rendering of a female figure sitting. The gestural and expressive paintwork create an emotionally charged atmosphere. C...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Charcoal, Gouache, Color Pencil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Linen, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Plywood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Fiberglass, LED Light
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Metal, Steel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Plastic, Mixed Media, Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Digital
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Found, reclaimed and resurrected- an abstract wood relief ;painting; in an assortment of soft and hard woods puzzled together within a salvaged antique window...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Brass
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Ink, Gouache
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
India Ink, Rice Paper
Artist Comments
Fiery red and orange erupt from a dark structure. The sun hovers to the right, casting a warm glow over the scene. Artist Yamilet Sempe represents one of the ma...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media