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
Paper, Acrylic, Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
As I look around, I hear everyone talking, but very few appear to be doing. This piece is created using reclaimed wood. It comes ready to hang.
About the Artist
When asked how she became an artist, sculptor Heather Patterson replied, “I just seem to be built that way.” Heather is passionate about creating, and is constantly inspired by her daily surroundings and experiences. The artist’s body of work is governed by her mission to reassign meaning to materials that have outlived their perceived purpose. She works with reclaimed wood and window panes to produce geometric wall sculptures that may remind the viewer of abstract modernist paintings. Modernism conjures an underlying tension in Heather-–a “vibration,” she calls it. Each sculpture is created without a premeditated plan or sketch, but is instead governed by feeling and intuition.
After All...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint, Screen
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Thread, Ink, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Sandstone
Artist Comments
An intricate collage of raw, painted, stained and burned reclaimed woods. Artist Heather Patterson collects her materials from abandoned barns in Maine to kit...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Monotype
Artist Comments
Loose, expressive brushstrokes depict a contemplative woman hugging her leg. With a minimal palette of acrylic paint and charcoal, artist Sharon Sieben captur...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Mixed Media, Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, India Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Rag Paper
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Resin, Epoxy Resin, Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Brass
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Plaster, Mixed Media, Acrylic
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
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Spray Paint, Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Charcoal, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Watercolor, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Latex, Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Plaster, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A silver square floats on a dark background, with splatters of paint lending energy to the piece. The interplay of light and texture creates a striking contrast...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Cotton
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Oil, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Panel, Latex
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Gouache, Rag Paper, Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax, Encaustic, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Between You and Me" is a mixed media wall sculpture. It is constructed from solid mahogany, acrylic and acrylic washes. This piece is at once both rustic a...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Lacquer, Charcoal, Acrylic, Oil Crayon
Artist Comments
A burst of colorful squares with various patterns intricately arranged by artist Tomo Mori. "I make tiles with fabrics, then utilize a traditional mosaic technique with acrylic painting," explains Tomo. She carefully cuts each square of vintage kimonos and sets them in a mesmerizing fashion. "The image has layers and slight three-dimensionality to create an interesting texture. The canvas is linen and it adds warmth to the overall feeling. Gold colors reflect light and the painting looks different during the day and night."
About the Artist
Tomo Mori finds herself drawn to images that are melting, dripping, streaming and flowing. Her process is extremely meticulous yet spontaneous in its execution, allowing natural instinct to guide the creativity and fluidity of the work. Tomo's signature technique is collage made of canvas on canvas, a style that adds depth and dimension to her work. Born in Osaka, Japan, her family moved to Tokyo when she was four, where she recalls happy family memories under the cherry blossoms. She is now based in New York, and when she's not making art, Tomo likes spending time with her family and dancing.
Words that describe this painting: mosaic, collage, abstract, nursery, childhood, fabric, pattern, contemporary, kimono, Japanese, mixed media...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Plywood, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media, Tape, Glue, Pencil, Stretcher Bars, Wax
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Wool
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Etching
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Acrylic, Pigment