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.
$15,200
"Love for Meadow VII" - Colorful Rainbow Textured Impasto Contemporary Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "Love for Meadow VII" 2025 Acrylic paint, Gel, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. The artist notes th...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars, Mixed Media
Autumn Biogram of the Nelson
By Kory Twaddle
Located in Kansas City, MO
Artist : Kory Twaddle "Autumn Biogram of the Nelson" Newsprint, graphite, conté crayon pastel, charcoal, beeswax, cardboard, paper, gingko leaves, stickers, and Mixed Media on drawi...
Paint, Paper, Conté, Charcoal, India Ink, Acrylic, Tempera, Watercolor, ...
$9,502
ABSTRACT Contemporary Artist French Rose Madone New Artwork Nature earth colors
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of A...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media
$396Sale Price|20% Off
Geometric Line Study C - 6 by Murray Duncan Mix Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Geometric Line Studies C-6 is an original mixed-media work on paper by Toronto artist Murray Duncan, part of his ongoing exploration of gestural geometry, spatial rhythm, and atmosph...
Paint, Paper, Ink, Pencil
Turn - Large Colorful Abstract Geometric Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors, and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textures and patterns, referencing popular European textile designs of the fifties and sixties. Rös-Nickel’s work translates the geometric and organic elements of an era that hoisted the flags of modernism and which, due to a trend to return to a rather retro style, has become topical once more. This 43-inch high by 63-inch wide contemporary oil painting is ready to hang. This artwork is double wired and may be installed vertically or horizontally. The sides of this artwork are painted and it does not require framing. Free local Los Angeles area delivery. Affordable U.S. and global shipping are available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included. Petra was born 1963 in Wathlingen near Celle, Germany, and breaks completely new ground with her abstract forms of painting and expression. After studying fashion design at the professional school for clothing in Bremen, 1980, Petra Rös-Nickel changed her field of study to architecture in Eckernförde, 1982. She now lives in Hamburg, Germany. Preferring the creative aspects of the studies to the technical ones, the artist developed the basics of her painting, never denying the roots of applied design and soon ending in a refreshing, distinctive style. Petra Rös-Nickel experiments with form, along with the use of a technique that draws attention to the processes used in creating a painting. Essential is the color space presented in multiple layers that offers the beholder access to more profound color planes. These details, scratchings, and rubbings lead to various elements of tension, such as “patchwork” or harmonious-contemplative forms (“windows”) and “oscillating lines”. Rös-Nickel's modernist paintings develop an energetic impact on the space they‘re displayed in, conveying her joy of life and self-confidence. Her abstract geometric textured artworks have been exhibited and collected worldwide, including Germany, Belgium, USA, Canada, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Notable collectors include Chris Rock...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The Fort Protected - Large Oversized Contemporary Abstract Blue Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sarah Svetlana's original abstract artworks offer a captivating glimpse into the intricacies of the human experience, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of sources and influenc...
Canvas, Charcoal, Varnish, Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Paul Manes - Untitled Drawing II, Painting 2024
By Paul Manes
Located in Stamford, CT
Paul Manes was born May 4, 1948, in Austin, Texas. He began his professional career in New York City in the early 1980s. His art has been widely exhibited in America and Europe and h...
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Green Mesa
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I’m painting and let my intuition be my guide. I love laying do...
Encaustic
Healing Forest - Abstract Green Tone Textural Floral Acrylic Canvas Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
rawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Painting on Canvas Titled: PDP409ct09
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Painting on canvas signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa Springs, Color...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$9,100Sale Price|35% Off
Contemporary Minimalist Textured Black & White diptych, Franz Kline inspired
Located in Maricopa, AZ
Artist : Svetlana Shalygina, "The Elegance of Simplicity" Original black & white textured diptych. Large scale, uniquely textured Contemporary paintings, with 2.5" gallery wrap edg...
Mixed Media
Untitled, Abstract Wall Sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Fear and insecurity came uninvited to keep the artist company. Suddenly it became necessary to release the sensations that surrounded him day and night. At times the artist felt as i...
Wood, Leather, Canvas, Mixed Media, Wax
$4,500
City Feet - Abstract Energetic Expressionist Spontaneous Contemporary Painting
By Jonas Fisch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swedish artist Jonas Fisch’s imagery is vibrantly buzzing with colorful commentary on society - past and present - morphed into figures, words, and shapes. His heavily layered canvas...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$910
Jazz It Up - Contemporary Dynamic Abstract Expressionist Neutral Drip Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Marc Raphael’s "Jazz It Up: is a dynamic original abstract painting that invites the viewer into a vibrant visual rhythm reminiscent of jazz improvisation. Perfect for collectors sea...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$320
On Rock N' Roll - Original Abstract Colorful Geometric Mixed Media Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Las Mascaras VII. From Las Mascaras (The masks) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This series draws inspiration from Hatillo’s Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes, translating the festival’s vibrant movement and collective energy into a refined abstract vocabulary. Thr...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,800
"The Peacock & The Crane" Contemporary Gestural Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Neutral toned gestural abstract painting by contemporary artist Ian Francis. The work features a variety of gestural marks accented by black and white triangular shapes set against a...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Small Blue Abstract Mixed Media Bicycle Painting on Paper
Located in New York, NY
Born in Manuel, Cuba in 1973, Juan Lazaro Gutierrez Mamblas is a painter who focuses his vision on the bicycle. His abstract works with forms floating on a virtually monochrome groun...
Acrylic, Cardboard, Ballpoint Pen
Lapis - 3D small contemporary blue abstract round mural sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Erin Vincent is a Toronto based-artist whose work draws on a variety of repetitive and labor intensive processes and materials. Things and common objects have always fascinated Vinc...
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
$20,000
I Will Follow You #2, Abstract, Mixed Media Sculptural Wall Relief, Large-Scale
By Joan Hall
Located in New York, NY
I Will Follow You #2 by Joan Hall Handmade paper, glass beads, acrylic, Dura-lar, collagraph Joan Hall creates large-scale works and sculptural installations with an emphasis on the...
Glass, Acrylic, Handmade Paper
$13,000
Sphere
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lisa Bartleson is a Northern California - based mixed-media artist whose work is inspired by the Light and Space movement from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Her work has a luminous quality ...
Resin, Mixed Media, Panel
$3,253Sale Price|45% Off
Resonance in Red — Large Abstract Expressionist Colorful Painting by Emmi Iida
Located in Lahti, FI
“Resonance in Red” is an original large abstract expressionist painting by Finnish multidisciplinary artist Emmi Iida. Measuring 90 x 70 cm, the piece is a striking exploration of rh...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor
Entered Into, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Abstract figures fill the composition and move deeper into the scene. They suggest that spirituality is not only a personal journey but also a shared connection...
Mixed Media
$480Sale Price|20% Off
Banana skin yellow pill (minimaliste grid round painting on wood dopamine)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Banana skin yellow pill" is one of the 30 small tondo paintings on wood comprising the Dopamine mosaic. This 30-piece ensemble was created between January and April 2024 by the arti...
Spray Paint
$1,202
"Lotus or Movement to the Light" // moody art / good vibes floristics painting.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"All living beings strive towards the light" - so the great German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe once said. Plants strive for light in order to grow taller and stronger. And the people...
Resin, Acrylic
Untitled. Large Mixed Media Splatter Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Mixed media (acrylic and oil paints) splatter painting on canvas Signed and dated verso. Gordon Couch born 1949 British artist based in Cornwall and ...
Oil, Acrylic
$15,000
Ben Wilson - Byzantium, original signed Abstract Expressionist painting Framed
By Ben Wilson
Located in New York, NY
Ben Wilson Byzantium, 1975 Oil on Masonite painting Hand signed reverse, Titled, "Byzantium", dated 1975 by the artist and also with estate stamp - in addition to Ben Wilson's hand s...
Masonite, Oil
Umbra series 15, Abstract Sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Fear and insecurity came uninvited to keep the artist company. Suddenly it became necessary to release the sensations that surrounded him day and night. At times the artist felt as i...
Brass
Las Mascaras V. From Las Mascaras (The masks) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This series draws inspiration from Hatillo’s Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes, translating the festival’s vibrant movement and collective energy into a refined abstract vocabulary. Thr...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Floating Away - Impasto Thick Paint Colorful Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint a...
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Original Mixed Media Collage Titled FS3534ct14 22 x 30
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
mixed media collage by renown artist Cecil Touchon paper is 22 x 30 in size image/art 12 x 18 signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American colla...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$779Sale Price|78% Off
Beauty Beneath the Chaos, Abstract Expressionist Painting by Emmi Iida
Located in Lahti, FI
“Beauty Beneath the Chaos” is an original abstract expressionist painting by multidisciplinary Finnish artist Emmi Iida, whose work blends raw emotion, layered symbolism, and poetic ...
Oil Pastel, Pastel, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
Naming Rights, Quampium (Long Water, Greenwood Lake)
Located in New York, NY
Cyanotype print on Muslin Fabric, sewn with thread and stretched over a wooden frame. Using the cyanotype process, the artist places the UV treated fabric into bodies of water docu...
Photogram
$44,000Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Cubist Construction Collage Mid 20th Century American Modernism Cubism
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Cubist Construction Collage Mid 20th Century American Modernism Cubism Vaclav Vytacil (1892 - 1984) Abstract Construction #2 Caesin on board collage 11 x 13 1/2 th inches S...
Casein, Board
Forces of Nature 17 - Textural Abstract Layered Paint Artwork on Canvas
By Len Klikunas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Len Klikunas paints minimalist artworks to modify experienced reality through visual perception. The Blocks series is a mix of art and architecture, hovering between painting and scu...
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
$6,500
Memory Wall 6: Maximalist Abstract Painting in Red, Peach, Pink, Teal, Green
Located in Hudson, NY
Large, brightly colored abstract geometric painting in various shades of red, pink, and peach with accents of mint green, teal, blue, yellow, white and black. "Memory Wall #6" made ...
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic, Panel, Pigment
Active Transport
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Resin coated and mounted to layers of plywood, these digital/mixed media ‘picture objects’ represent interpretations of contemporary visual culture charmed by minimalism, modernism...
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
Painting on paper, lyrical abstraction, contemporary, music score
Located in Carballo, ES
Blue Minimal Painting. This is an original artwork realized by TUSET in 2019. We can frame it in natural wood or black on request. The dimensions of the painting are 41 x 29,5 cm. W...
Ink, Handmade Paper
$4,500
Peter Halley - CORE Geometric Abstraction Silkscreen, Lithograph Signed/N Framed
By Peter Halley
Located in New York, NY
Peter Halley Core, 1991 Limited Edition Silkscreen with lithography on Coventry Rag paper. Pencil signed and numbered 13/50 on the front Publisher: Edition Schellmann & Pace Edit...
Lithograph, Screen
Tondo Arboretum II - Circular Contemporary Abstract Warm Tone Botanical Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Untitled 19. From the Mexican Ryōan-ji Series.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Ryōan-ji is the Japanese Zen temple in Kyoto, a monastery that gave rise to the idea of the purely abstract Zen garden that inspired this series Francisco Larios’ works are done by...
Gold Leaf
Laddie John Dill, Robert Rauschenberg protege signed mixed media painting Unique
Located in New York, NY
Laddie John Dill Untitled Mixed Media painting, 2011 Cement, polymer, wood, mixed media on board 12 × 18 × 1 1/2 inches Signed and dated on the back Unique work This exquisite unique...
Wood, Acrylic Polymer, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker
Happanese: Abstract Encaustic Painting of Hemp Leaves on Light Mint Green
By Allyson Levy
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract painting made with light green encaustic and brown hemp leaves and branches resembling a tree Happanese, made by Allyson Levy in 2020 48 x 34 inches hemp leaves, branches, a...
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel
Umbra series 13, 14, 15 Triptych, Abstract Wall Sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Fear and insecurity came uninvited to keep the artist company. Suddenly it became necessary to release the sensations that surrounded him day and night. At times the artist felt as i...
Brass
$14,355
1970 Italy Modular Kinetic Stainless Steel Abstract Wall Panel by Maldonado
Located in Brescia, IT
The mirrored surfaces of the stainless steel Maldonado work of art, reflect the world around. Maldonado's artistic research has an ethological matrix: a sign as a kind of pre-Incan g...
Stainless Steel
Registros IV, Abstract Paintings. From The Series Registros
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Impressions of past lives, perceptions of future lives. The Records series carries that mystery. Simple and profound since its deed does not happen on the surface. Although it manif...
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
Modern Red, Blue, Green, & Yellow Mixed Media Abstract Linear Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Modern red, blue, green, and yellow mixed media abstract painting by the artist Bert Millar. The work features vertical stripes of various colors set against a light grey wash of col...
Mixed Media
$975
The Shape of Memory: Textured Abstract Mixed Media Organic Wall Art Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
The Shape of Memory embodies Lisa Pressman’s long investigation into how memory lives within the body, surface, and time. This sculptural mixed media work is both painting and object...
Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Panel, Cardboard
$7,400
Abstract Expressionist Glass, Cement, and Polymer Painting by Laddie Dill
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Laddie John Dill, American (1943 - ) Title: untitled Year: 1984 Medium: Glass, Cement and Polymer on panel Size: 30 x 50 x 2.5 in. (76.2 x 127 x 6.35 cm)
Cement
$1,795
Waves of Freedom - Abstract Gold Tone Textural Floral Acrylic Canvas Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Red with Blue Fabric Collage, Abstract Style, 1970s, Unsigned, 38x28
Located in Arp, TX
Sylvia Rutkoff (1919-2011) "Red with Blue" 1970s Fabric collage on stretch bar 38"x28" unframed Unsigned Collection acquired from family estate Sylvia Weinreb Rutkoff (1919-2011) Bo...
Fabric, Stretcher Bars
$4,500
"Calm's Chaos - Storm Eye", Abstract, Blue, Brown, Orange, Mixed Media Painting
By Peter Knapp
Located in Franklin, MA
Peter Knapp’s “Calm’s Chaos – Storm Eye” is a 24 x 36 x 1 inch abstract mixed media painting on cradled panel in blue, indigo, and ochre acrylic, ink, and pencil. This colorful abstr...
Archival Ink, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Panel
Richard Overstreet (American, 20th c.) Reclining Figure Pastel Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Richard Overstreet (American, 20th c.) Reclining Figure Pastel Painting Brilliant original pastel painting by noted American artist Richard Overstr...
Pastel
Blue Pillars, Contemporary Art, Textile Art, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Blue Pillars Textile Art, Cotton, Handmade Free style weaving, framed 120x60cm 2025 About the artist Matthias De Vogel The Textile art studio Fault Lines is Founded in 2015 by Mat...
Textile, Cotton
A432 - Minimalist Abstract Original Red and Black Textural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An im...
Acrylic, Canvas
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Zipline - Textured Black and White Abstract Thick Paint Monochrome Original Art
By Tasha Jentel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tasha Jentel creates original abstract art that merges minimalist design with richly tactile, sculptural texture. Working exclusively in black and white, ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Triptych: Hesperides 003, Hesperides 004 and Hesperides 001. Abstract Paintings
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The central concept of Larios painting series KHLORIS is based on the idea of the garden as a metaphorical space. Larios seeks to find a certain romantic beauty in the details of n...
Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
Figurative, Contemporary Art, Textile Art, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Figurative Textile Art, Cotton, Handmade Free style weaving 80x80cm UNDER COMMISSION About the artist Matthias De Vogel The Textile art studio Fau...
Textile, Cotton
Natural / Unnatural L - Mixed Media Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kristina Fjellman, a Minnesota-based visual artist and performer, seamlessly blends sculpture and performance art in her captivating work. She has ga...
Steel
Taiga - Sculptural Painting Original Minimalist Artwork on Canvas
By Len Klikunas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Artist Len Klikunas paints to modify experienced reality through visual perception. His art is a mix of art and architecture, hovering between painting and sculpture. It employs shiz...
Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic