Abstract Interior 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.
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
The painting is a result of my impressions from traveling in Mexico. Old, colorful, dramatic looking houses under the bright sun look dynamic and full of life energy.
About the Artist
Suren is an impressionist painter eloquently capturing nature, landscapes, and cityscapes in paint. His body of work reflects several different stylistic approaches. Suren’s scenes in oil are inspired by Impressionist masters Monet and Van Gogh, while his watercolor series of flowers and birds are influenced by Eastern styles of painting and the colors of the Middle Eastern environment. Suren believes his role as an artist is to remind viewers that we all are part of the same natural universe.
Sunny Day, Street in Puerto Vallarta...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Resin, Epoxy Glue, Cotton Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Varnish, Mixed Media, Pigment, Other Medium
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Graphite
1980s Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil, Masonite
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Elley displays the entryway of a welcoming building inspired by the architecture of quaint villages in Italy. The light accentuates the rustic sto...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Doug Cosbie paints the East Quoddy Lighthouse, known as the Head Harbour Lightstation, to the locals. The building towers at...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Evening on Randolph Street in Chicago, home to many of the city's theatres. "The lights are on, the musicals in the theatres are on," says Yangzi. "I painted ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Encaustic, Tempera
Artist Comments
Artist Yangzi Xu depicts an iconic view of LaSalle Street in Chicago, facing south from the bridge. She rendered this piece in a warm muted palette, setting the stage to highlight sporadic lights and reflections on wet concrete. "My focus was to convey the mood and feeling a rainy day brings to my beloved city," shares Yangzi.
About the Artist
Artist Yangzi Xu captures a nostalgia for Chicago and its dramatic seasonal changes in her expressionist cityscapes. Having a full-time job and being a wife and mother, Yangzi makes a habit of painting everyday to keep her passion exciting and fresh. She keeps a queue of ideas and reference photos that she takes throughout the year. She looks through her references, tweaks and adds elements to them. Once inspiration strikes, Yangzi draws several sketches and begins to work with oils on canvas on multiple pieces at once - to keep each painting spontaneous and new. "I try to capture the paradox of life in the city, where one can be in a crowd and yet feel alone," Yangzi says. "My main intent is not to capture the physical reality of a scene, but to express my own moods and feelings to my audience." In her free time, Yangzi enjoys reading, with her current favorite genres being biographies and memoirs. Yangzi is an alumnus of DePaul University in Chicago.
Words that describe this painting: Chicago, La Salle...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Elizabeth Garat shares a glimpse of a pastoral landscape with an impressionistic approach. "This iconic red barn off of Grand Avenue in the east end of Ojai, California is a favorite scene for me," shares Elizabeth. She beautifully captures the warm sunny day when the golden...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
The beauty of the mundane shines on artist Benjamin Thomas' painting of a gracefully lit wall. He captures the brief moment while having lunch on the porch wi...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
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 from the residential streets, parks and gardens that dot the vast city. Of this piece, Suren says Just before dusk, the soft light from the sun and the beautiful colors of vintage buildings...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Wood
Artist Comments
On her commute, Yangzi used to pass State St in the evening when the lights were just turning on. "This is a moment of fleeting beauty that you want to stop and appreciate," she says. "This is the magnificence that Chicago has to offer." Yangzi developed the energy of the scene, roughly painting in the speeding cars and drawing the eye back into the composition with her strongly angled perspective.
About the Artist
Artist Yangzi Xu...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Glue, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Light slowly filters through branches and leaves as the sun gradually rises. "It was early morning, the birds were singing, the light falling on the road was ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Sherri Aldawood captured the morning sunlight falling across a courtyard in Tlaquepaque in Sedona, AZ. During the day, the outdoor market bustles with ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
1970s Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
Colette's latest series of paintings draws inspiration from living in New York for many years. "I worked to capture the beautiful light and vivid colors found...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Wax, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
