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.
Artist Comments
"It's a muted meditative exploration of how physical distance, as well as the distance created by the passage of time, affects our experiences of memory and p...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Soft turquoise and vibrant reds create a striking contrast while shimmering gold leaf symbolizes the returning sunlight and the promise of renewal. The layers o...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Birch, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Mixed Media, Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"He would strut into the bar trying to capture the eye of the women," says artist Darlene McElroy. "With his swagger, cool clothes, and sparkle, he played the odds." A playful cowboy portrait in Darlene's Cast of Characters series.
About the Artist
Darlene McElroy sees creating art as similar to reading Turkish coffee grounds. A story becomes revealed as one looks at the surface, texture and color. Her works use a variety of materials ranging from acrylic paints to photo transfers and collage. She currently lives in New Mexico and has been greatly influenced by the work of Robert Rauschenberg. She encourages viewers to search for their narrative interpretation when viewing a work.
Words that describe this painting: man, figurative, cowboy, western, happy, hat, face, mustache, expressionism, people, western, representational, mixed media artwork, yellow
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic Polymer, Found Objects, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Charcoal, Gouache, Color Pencil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Canvas, Encaustic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Concrete, Sandstone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Mulberry Paper
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel, Bronze
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Lacquer, Acrylic, Canvas, Pastel, Automotive Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Charcoal
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Epoxy Resin, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Ink, Handmade Paper
Artist Comments
Cords twist and stretch across the composition, anchored by a smooth orb at the center. Earthy browns and soft oranges blend into a weathered, timeworn surface....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Fiery orange and warm light burst against a cool blue background. Dark, branching lines stretch like twisted trees while a soft orb of light hovers on the left....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Metal, Steel
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Gouache, Mixed Media, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Etching, Aquatint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Organic Material, Adhesive, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Handmade Paper, T...
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Archival Ink, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Plaster, Wax, Acrylic, Pigment
Artist Comments
Artist Linda Shaffer used an assortment of papers and original images collected from everyday life to create this multi-layered mixed-media abstract painting....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Gouache, C Print
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Magazine Paper