Abstract Still-life 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 Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Wood, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Rag Paper
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Abstract blue and white flowers intermingle with free-forming violet patterns, reminiscent of underwater life. Part of a series of small-scale works inspired ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Stone
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Watercolor
1990s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Resin, Oil
Artist Comments
Vibrant swirls of paint mimic the movement of blooming flowers and twisting vines. When artist Sheila Grabarasky dips her brush into green, the lyrical flow o...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Pastel
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Kira Yustak depicts a shiny red bicycle inspired by a love of vintage items and toys from childhood. "They bring back so many fond memories and emotions," says Kira. "That feeling of freedom when riding a bike as a child is so very wonderful and exciting!"
About the Artist
Kira Yustak paints fantastical scenes that come from her childhood memories, dreams, and the natural world. Each piece feels like part of a larger narrative of an alternative reality, rendered in a style she describes as comic realism. She feels art must trigger something inside the viewer’s soul.Kira currently lives in New Jersey and finds inspiration in the work of Lowbrow, Folk, and Surrealist artists.
Words that describe this painting: bike, bicycle, vintage, toy, still life, childhood, memories, impressionism, impressionism, still life, acrylic painting, yellow
Vintage Bike...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Pastel, Acrylic, Asphaltum
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Pastel, Asphaltum
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A delightful still life of three home-grown sunflowers from artist Nicole Lamothe's garden each in their own vase. Forever capturing the essence of summer, Ni...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"This colorful combination of irises and wildflowers was so inspiring to paint!" shares artist Oksana Johnson. "To make sure all the colors have the center st...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Board
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Graphite
Artist Comments
A speck of red, suggesting a single cherry, sits atop a stack of cubes. Blue, gray, and purple dominate the composition, creating a sophisticated color scheme...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Pamela Blaies was inspired by a little slice of light shining into her studio late one afternoon while she was cleaning up for the day. The illuminated stash ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Cardboard
Artist Comments
Artist Judy Mackey created this expressive semi-abstract garden view while thinking about the new flowers springing up from the ground and the daylight-saving...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
