Abstract Abstract Paintings
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.
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1970s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Masonite, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Resin, Wax, Panel, Pigment
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Jute, Acrylic, Washi Paper
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Masonite, Acrylic, Board
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Bold teal and fiery red command attention against the earthy white background. Layers of distressed detailing add a rustic feel to the piece. The abstract des...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Ronda Waiksnis presents an abstract landscape with soft neutral tones. She paints with expressive strokes, capturing the essence of spring with minimal representation. “In this painting, I’ve put together subtle but energetic colors with bold painterly brushstrokes for a lively view,†says Ronda. The clouds float through the sky, adding to the landscape’s movement.
About the Artist
Ronda Waiksnis captures abstracted, atmospheric movement through her direct application painting process. Rarely using brushes, she applies heavy layers of paint with large palette knives and other tools, shifting the oil paint instinctively. Ronda is inspired by her natural surroundings and strives to capture the mood of any given day. The artist uses muted earth tones and receding horizon lines to demonstrate depth, conveying the transient sky or evanescent reflections in water with expressive feeling. Ronda aims to make art that is emotive and visceral, organic and unrefined. She is passionate about the endless possibilities for innovation that being an artist offers.
Words that describe this painting: landscape, nature, abstract, expressive, river, spring, season, clouds, sky, movement, palette knife, water, reflection, abstract, nature, oil painting, grey
Spring Path...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jenn Williamson demonstrates a misty marshland in this contemplative scene. The rhythmic rise and fall of tonal colors break into vaporous clouds hovering over the sky, setting a calming and ethereal ambiance. Jenn paints intuitively but finds herself exploring the new process of basing the piece on an earlier sketch. Her desire to grow as an artist leads her down many new avenues.
About the Artist
Jenn Williamson expertly evokes the scenery of British Columbia in her soft abstract landscapes. She utilizes defining horizontal and vertical strokes, coupled with a skillful handling of color, to create significant depth in each piece. Her paintings, though abstracted, clearly convey the atmospheric attributes of the scene–rain, wind, clouds, fog. Jenn’s muted color palette transports the viewer to the Canadian west coast...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, India Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Varnish, Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Plywood, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A figure blends into a sea of blues and greens. Bright shapes in yellows, oranges, and pinks provide an intriguing counterpoint to the deeper colors. Artist R...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Mica
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
1990s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Spray Paint, Panel
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1940s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
