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.
avp_1628 - Original Abstract Red Tone Contemporary Acrylic Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
$2,500
avp_1521 - Original Abstract Vibrant Blue Tone Contemporary Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
avp_1219 - Original Color Drenching Contemporary Abstract Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
Nick Thomm - HEMISPHERE (ORANGE) XL
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm - 'HEMISPHERE' - (Blue) XL SIZE 92cm x 122cm 36" x 48" Limited Edition of #44 Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condit...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Neutral Nature (Gold) - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Textural Drip Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
Nick Thomm - Loom (HYDRA) Standard
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'LOOM' (Hydra) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 305. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW. Worldwide Shipping. Sold Unframed.
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$2,020
Earth to Sky - Tall Impasto Inspired Colorful Thick Paint 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 i...
Canvas, Acrylic, Glitter
Nick Thomm - LUMINANCE - SET (Standard)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'LUMINANCE' (SET) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) per print. Blue Limited Edition of 425. Orange Limited Edition of 409. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Pape...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$3,600
Cooler Heads Prevail - Large Abstract Expressionist Textural Painting in Blue
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic, Latex
Red on Yellow - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 1970s, Large Scale
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large-scale contemporary painting by Milly Ristvedt explores colour in abstract form. A masterful, award-winning colourist, Milly Ristvedt’s elegant abstract paintings hang on...
Canvas, Acrylic
$7,800
Set Adrift - Large Moody Atmospheric Abstract Alluring Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
$7,100
av_965 Colorful Original Contemporary Abstract Painting on Natural Linen Canvas
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Linen, Acrylic
$1,520Sale Price|20% Off
Life to the Full LA Blue 2 - Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sarah Johnson infuses passion, heart, and a lifetime of creative experience into each original painting. Her radial series exhibits both uninhibited freedom and methodical technique. Through colors, textures, and movement, Johnson’s acrylic paintings on canvas radiate joy with pleasing repetition and form. This 48-inch high by 30-inch wide one-of-a-kind painting is stretched, wired, and ready to hang. The sides of this original artwork are painted and it does not require framing. It is signed by the artist on the back. Free local Los Angeles area delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and International shipping are available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the Los Angeles art gallery is included. Johnson says about her work: "I believe things that you bring into your home make a difference in the way you live and feel. My artwork is inspired by joy, purpose, and freedom. I hope my paintings are a source of inspiration for you and everyone who enters your home." Each series has a meaningful message, adding both truth and beauty to your walls. Johnson is based in Dallas, Texas, and has been a professional artist since 2012. Her abstract artworks are collected internationally. REPRESENTATION Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA EDUCATION 2010 The University of Texas at Austin EXHIBITIONS 2022 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA 2022 The Collective, Dallas, TX 2022 Mecox Gardens, Houston, TX 2022 The Arbors, Round Top, TX 2022 The Walking Man, Whitefish, MT 2022 BayHill Design Studio, Austin, TX 2022 Septemberfest Art Fair, Midland TX - Honorable Mention 2021 Olive & Home, Tyler TX...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
"Stormy air" 100x120 cm, acrylic on canvas, gold leaf
Located in Yerevan, AM
"Stormy air" 100x120 cm, acrylic on canvas, gold leaf
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,900Sale Price|38% Off
Little Red Ball - Abstract Original Modern Playful Geometric Steel Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. His original artworks capture the...
Metal, Steel
Birch Study 2 - Original Abstract Tree Landscape Nature Still Life Oil Painting
By Beth Munro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beth Munro’s original paintings, whether composed of still life, landscape, or abstract forms, focus on pattern, color and texture. Munro is inspired by everything from the impressio...
Canvas, Oil
7.10.24 #23 - Multicolor Abstract Painting 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
Neutral Nature (Red) - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Textural Drip Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
avp_1380 - Original Color Drenching Contemporary Abstract Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
avp_1453 - Expressive Color Drenched Abstract Contemporary Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
$825Sale Price|25% Off
Technomeditation, 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
Technomeditation, 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard The work is sold without a frame and mat
Acrylic, Cardboard
$19,500
Art Card: Willem de Kooning and Elaine de Kooning, 1953 (Hand Signed by BOTH)
Located in New York, NY
Art Card: Willem de Kooning and Elaine de Kooning, 1953 (Hand Signed by BOTH Willem de Kooning and Elaine de Kooning) from the Dan Pope collection, 1985 Offset lithograph postcard (S...
Postcard
$14,000
A852 - Original Large Scale Minimalist Modern Green Expressive Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss-born artist Marco Schmidli creates large-scale minimalist paintings reminiscent of color field studies with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the medium...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,065
avp_1072 - Colorful Pink Green Original Contemporary Abstract Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
Nick Thomm - GHOSTS (BLUE)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'GHOSTS' (Blue) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 199 Hand Signed and Numbered #113 Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW. Wo...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Raventos Big Ocher Blue Green Original tapestry
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Happy world. Original tapestry RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Raventós expa...
Tapestry
$6,200
Faded Rose - Muted Color Atmospheric Abstract Alluring Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
Cafe Bougainvillea, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A sunlit cafe courtyard framed by bougainvillea in full bloom comes alive with color and movement. Expressive brushwork and thick impasto in the foliage create ...
Oil
$5,625Sale Price|25% Off
Sleep of the mind , 200x72 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Sleep of the mind , 200x72 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
New York Misses You Too, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"The source of inspiration for this painting came as I was walking in Manhattan in the rain," says artist Onelio Marrero. "This street is based on 8th Avenue ...
Oil
$2,400Sale Price|42% Off
Soaring. 100x100cm, acrylic on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Soaring. 100x100cm
Canvas, Acrylic
Nick Thomm - AETHER (GREEN) Standard
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'AETHER' (Green) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 482 Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW. Worldwide Shipping. Sold Unframed.
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Nick Thomm - HEMISPHERE (BLUE) XL
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm - 'HEMISPHERE' - (Blue) XL SIZE 92cm x 122cm 36" x 48" Limited Edition of #46 Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Co...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Hydrangea in Bloom, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A cluster of pink hydrangeas arranged in a clear rounded vase in full bloom. Artist Nicole Lamothe painted this piece in alla-pr...
Oil
Waits River Church, Vermont, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Waits River is a small village on Highway 25 southeast of Stowe, Vermont. "The church, buildings and barns presented an iconic view of New England...
Oil
$2,500
avp_1519 - Original Abstract Deep Magenta Tone Contemporary Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
Pop of Color For Your Wall - Impasto Thick Paint 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 i...
Canvas, Acrylic
avp_1534 - Expressive Blue and Green Abstract Contemporary Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
$3,500
Mata Ortiz Black-on-Buff Geometric Olla by Juan Quezada, Signed
Located in Palm Springs, CA
This finely crafted black-on-buff geometric olla by Juan Quezada Celado features interlocking stepped and square-grid motifs that wrap around the vessel in a precise, rhythmic patter...
Clay
$8,950
A597 - Large Contemporary Colorful Modern Circles Abstract Painting (framed)
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In his distinct style of impressionism, artist Onelio Marrero displays a man in a suit reading the news as he sits by an empty dining hall. He bases the piece on sketches of a Back Bay, Boston restaurant named Bistro du Midi. He creates a narrative of an imaginary proprietor perusing a newspaper before the establishment opens and the clients fill the place. Onelio gives the viewer a sense of the décor and light streaming through the windows - beyond it, a hint of the Boston Public Garden.
About the Artist
Artist Onelio Marrero paints impressionist city scenes of everyday life. He captures the romanticism of New York City, from the picturesque fountains in Central Park to a glistening city street on a rainy afternoon. He creates a sense of nostalgia and intimacy with his work, offering the feeling that you have visited this particular scene before. “Each play of light, each texture, and each movement of a figure can have a captivating effect on me,†says Onelio. He studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art where he mastered discerning color and values, giving his work a more spontaneous appearance. Onelio’s work is an appreciation for beauty in all of its greatest forms; nature, art, and people.
Words that describe this painting: restaurant, newspaper, bistro, cafe, table, Boston, Public Garden, Boston Common...
Oil
$1,350Sale Price|25% Off
Night flowers , 100x60 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Night flowers , 100x60 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
Dance '72
By Sam Gilliam
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint, 1972. Signed by the artist and dated in pencil, lower right margin. Numbered 24/60 in pencil lower left,. Printed and published by Workshop, Inc., Washington, D...
Screen
Dance '72
By Sam Gilliam
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint, 1972. Signed by the artist and dated in pencil, lower right margin. Numbered 24/60 in pencil lower left,. Printed and published by Workshop, Inc., Washington, DC...
Screen
Santiago Medina - ETERNITY (OUTDOOR MONUMENTAL), Sculpture 2021
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian stainless steel. Medina summarizes his artistic passion as “I bring inert stainless steel to life by creating sculptures full of light and movement”. Since studying at Harva...
Stainless Steel
After the Rain, Tennessee Tobacco Farm, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In this painting, artist Doug Cosbie features small-scale American tobacco farms with their fields. Each has a curing shed that is attached to the main structure. "The atmosphere is humid after the rain, and the air has an overwhelming but delightfully sweet and pungent smell."
About the Artist
Artist Doug Cosbie presents the vibrancy found in nature with his impressionist, rural architecture centered artwork. Longing to create something that connects with people, Cosbie spent countless years perfecting how he portrays the world on canvas. Within his journey, he studied as an apprentice in the studios of Sam Black and Jack Shadbolt. As a plein air artist, Doug's studio is a portable pochade box...
Oil
Arnaldo Pomodoro - "Scultura" with official Authentication card Signed Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Arnaldo Pomodoro - "Scultura", with official Authentication card, 1982 Signed silver sculpture on chrome plated brass base, held in original wooden box and accompanying Authenticatio...
Brass, Silver
$4,000
Mystic Arboretum - Large Contemporary Abstract Geometric 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, Acrylic
ONYX - Amber (XL)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm - ONYX - Amber (XL SIZE 36" x 48"). Limited Edition #15 of 25. Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW - Unopen...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Live Passionately - Red Abstract Floral 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
ARCHANGEL (XL Size)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm ARCHANGEL (XL SIZE 36" x 48"). Limited Edition #22 of 25. Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW - Unopene...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Anthropométrie (ANT 83)
By Yves Klein
Located in New York, NY
Color lithograph on Rives BFK, 2001. Proof, aside from the numbered edition of 200 . With the artist's estate ink stamp, verso. Published by Editions T.A.T. Arts, Paris. The sheet ...
Lithograph
$7,500
Sol Lewitt - Unique drawing Geometric Abstraction on franked card, hand signed
By Sol LeWitt
Located in New York, NY
Sol LeWitt Unique Geometric Abstraction on Postcard, 1982 Original drawing done on postcard from the Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam), mailed, stamped and postmarked (franked) from Spolet...
Ink, Mixed Media, Postcard, Offset
Floral Study 13, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Valerie Berkely presents a floral still life in expressive and fluid paintwork. She executes the piece with wet-on-wet f...
Oil
Zone, vibrant, jewel-like, diaphanous strips of fabric collages
Located in New York, NY
Linda Kamille Schmidt plays with emotional connections and memory in her smaller, framed works. In their encasements, each collage appears as a portal; a...
Fabric, Thread, Plastic, Pins
$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
Hydrangea on Green, Oil Painting
By Judy Mackey
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A bouquet of white hydrangeas rests in a deep blue vase. Thick palette-knife strokes give the flowers a sculptural presence, while soft green tones in the backg...
Oil
$2,500
Double Sided Gold Plated Medallion (Limited Edition; Signed and Stamped)
Located in New York, NY
ARNALDO POMODORO Double Sided Gold Plated Medallion, 1985 Bronze with Gold Patina 2 7/10 × 2 7/10 × 3/10 inches Limited Edition of 500 Signed by artist with incised signature; Stampe...
Gold, Bronze
Stalling and Waiting, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The title of this painting expresses artist Onelio Marrero's observations of people sitting alone in restaurants and cafes. In this case, a woman waits agains...
Oil
$2,000
Fire in the Belly 2 - Colorful Energetic Abstract Acrylic Textural Drip Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic