Abstract More Art
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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Artist Comments
Artist Elizabeth Garat heralds the transition from summer to fall in a vibrant display of deep and bright hues. "The focal point is a tree along a pathway glo...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
1990s Abstract More Art
Paper, Mixed Media, Etching, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Abstract More Art
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Elizabeth Garat paints a dramatic view of the sky above the vast ocean's choppy waters and distant coastal islands. The brilliant rays of the sun illum...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Abstract More Art
Gold
Mid-20th Century Abstract More Art
Sandstone
Artist Comments
Inspired by the lush vineyards of France in the fall, artist Lisa Elley paints an impression of the scene. Light caresses the quaint village during the breathtaking summer. The vineyard flourishes in the foreground, creating a dramatic and colorful effect. She achieves a rich, buttery texture through thick impasto application.
About the Artist
Working almost exclusively with a palette knife, Lisa Elley maneuvers her artistic blade with an uncanny fluidity. Why paint only with the knife? She says, "when I paint with a brush, which I do occasionally, I tend to focus on the detail. With a palette knife I can't focus on the detail too much, so my paintings are looser, and more gestural, with bigger sweeps and strokes." This technique is called wet-on-wet. And it seems to be quite popular, as she has been bestowed the title "Knife Queen" by her facebook fans. Fun fact: Lisa's high school art teacher told her to study harder at math, as a career in art was "impossible."
Words that describe this painting: fall, autumn, season, France, Provence, village, vineyard, grapevines, winery, Europe, travel, buildings, architecture, farm, oilpaint, texture, palette knife, impressionism, landscape, impressionism, landscape, travel, oil painting, green
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Sherri posed her model, Bridget, in her backyard garden just as the sun was setting to capture the dramatic backlighting. Golden light silhouettes the figure and works with the shaded areas to build three dimensionality. A timeless and gentle portrait in the warm Arizona light.
About the Artist
Sherri Aldawood didn't intend to always paint flowers, but over time her love of gardens started to permeate her art. She focuses on the light and color of the flowers on the canvas. Sherri prefers alla prima, working with wet layers of paint instead of letting them dry. She keeps the paint as wet as possible by using walnut and clove oil to extend the drying time.
Words that describe this painting: woman, female, feminine, light, evening, garden, impressionistic, figure, figurative, person, people, Sargent, Sorolla, impressionism, people, representational, oil painting, green
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Doug Cosbie presents a rustic farmstead in a winter landscape with an impressionistic approach. "This scene is typical of the old farms along Hwy 37 along the St Lawrence River," says Doug. The winter sky, at first glance, appears grey and leaden while the snow appears white. On closer inspection, subtle shades of blue, purple, and even pink luster depending on the winter light.
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...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"When snow dusts the top of Mt. Diablo - a giant in the landscape of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area - there is great excitement in the air," says artist C...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A late August summer day at an old Berks County farm. Artist Doug Cosbie painted fields of pastel greens, burnished yellows, and br...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Linen, Archival Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract More Art
Acrylic, Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
A red barn sits in a spring field surrounded by wildflowers. "This piece has a light and airy feeling," shares artist Kip Decker. Soft brushwork sets the atmo...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Sherri Aldawood encountered these glowing waterlilies in a fountain at Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. Soft morning light warms the pink flowers and lilypads while gentle reflections echo across the water. Sherri layered greens in a loose impressionist style to bring dimension and texture to the scene.
About the Artist
Sherri Aldawood didn't intend to always paint flowers, but over time her love of gardens started to permeate her art. She focuses on the light and color of the flowers on the canvas. Sherri prefers alla prima, working with wet layers of paint instead of letting them dry. She keeps the paint as wet as possible by using walnut and clove oil to extend the drying time.
Words that describe this painting: flowers, floral, waterlily, San Juan Capistrano, California, fountain, nature, water, impressionism, Monet, lily, pond, impressionism, flora, representational, oil painting, green
Three Water Lillies...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
1990s Abstract More Art
Tapestry
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman displays an enchanting view of Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area. A path opens between a grove of trees leading into the tall mountains. James represents the different natural elements of the composition in a vibrant color palette. Painted en plein air, James says of the medium, "I like using oils for their buttery consistency."
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This painting is part of Suren Nersisyan's series of California landscapes focusing on the nature and stunning light around Los Angeles. He draws inspiration ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"As a child, I remember seeing the geisha for the first time and found their beauty extraordinary," says artist Mary Pratt. She pictures geishas wearing ornat...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Linen, Archival Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Building up many layers of color in oil paint and cold wax medium, Valerie then used scrapers to reveal the tree trunks in an abstract landscape. Warm orange and yellow trees standing in front of a cool blue and green background. Heavy texture complements the expressionist palette. The piece is part of a series of three works. Although Valerie did not create them as triptych, the three hang well close together.
About the Artist
Valerie Berkely uses her finger tips as brushes to create her abstract paintings. For Valerie, the art is all about the process, the paint, her mood, and the moment. She admires the artist Wolf Kahn, who once said, “the picture is the conclusion of an experiment in which the hint of an image becomes actuality." Like Kahn, Valerie’s paintings combine pictorial landscapes with painterly abstraction. The vibrant primary colors capture the hues of the sun rising and setting, and the texture of her fingers across the surface divides sea, land, and sky. There is something very dreamy about these works, exemplified by their color, texture, and atmospheric quality. Valerie’s first “art epiphany” was seeing Seurat's La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Bowled me over! I actually fell down. And I knew I was to become a painter.”
Words that describe this painting: woods, forest, trees, nature, expressionism, nature, non-representational, oil painting, blue
Bare Trees...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A misty dawn over a western prairie, the yellow grasses and dark foliage contrast suggesting a sunny day to come. Part of Nancy's si...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Thread, Mixed Media, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract More Art
Ink, Rag Paper, Color, Monotype, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Tara took the reference photo of this sage filled desert landscape while living in New Mexico. To prepare the canvas, she used a warm peach color as her underpainting and layered swatches of a deep blue collage...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Wax, Encaustic
2010s Abstract More Art
Wax, Encaustic
2010s Abstract More Art
Ink, Rag Paper, Monotype