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Expressionist Abstract Photography

EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

While “expressionist” is used to describe any art that avoids naturalism and instead employs a bold use of flattened forms and intense brushwork, Expressionist art formally describes early-20th-century work from Europe that drew on Symbolism and confronted issues such as urbanization and capitalism. Expressionist artists experimented in paintings and prints with skewed perspectives, abstraction and unconventional, bright colors to portray how isolating and anxious the world felt rather than how it appeared. 

Between 1905 and 1920, Austrian and German artists, in particular, were inspired by Postimpressionists such as Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in their efforts to strive for a new authenticity in their work. In its geometric patterns and decorative details, Expressionist art was also marked by eclectic sources like German and Russian folk art as well as tribal art from Africa and Oceania, which the movement’s practitioners witnessed at museums and world’s fairs.

Groups of artists came together to share and promote the themes now associated with Expressionism, such as Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden, which included Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and investigated alienation and the dissolution of society in vivid color. In Munich, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), a group led by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, instilled Expressionism with a search for spiritual truths. In his iconic painting The Scream, prolific Norwegian painter Edvard Munch conveyed emotional turmoil through his depiction of environmental elements, such as the threatening sky.

Expressionism shifted around the outbreak of World War I, with artists using more elements of the grotesque in reaction to the escalation of unrest and violence. Printmaking was especially popular, as it allowed artists to widely disseminate works that grappled with social and political issues amid this time of upheaval. Although the art movement ended with the rise of Nazi Germany, where Expressionist creators were labeled “degenerate,” the radical ideas of these artists would influence Neo-Expressionism that emerged in the late 1970s with painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francesco Clemente.

​​Find a collection of authentic Expressionist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Expressionist
Mirando al Cielo 7 - Limited Edition Digital Photographic Print on Cotton Paper
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 7 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. This print is available in an...
Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital

Mirando al Cielo 10 - Limited Edition Digital Print on Cotton Paper
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 10 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. This print is available in a...
Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital

Mirando al Cielo 14 - Limited Edition Digital Print on Cotton Paper
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 14 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. This print is available in a...
Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital

Manhattanhenge Phenomenon, Mystical Light Setting Sun, Manhattan Solstice
Located in Miami, FL
Mitchell Funk has been chronicling lighting effects in New York for over 50 years. This recent photography captures the magical moment of golden light pouring into 42nd street while...
Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Manhattanhenge Phenomenon, Mystical Light Setting Sun, Manhattan Solstice
Located in Miami, FL
Mitchell Funk has been chronicling lighting effects in New York for over 50 years. This recent photography captures the magical moment of golden light pouring into 42nd street while...
Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

Abstract Church - Manipulated Photography
Located in Miami, FL
This ia an early example of photo manipulation. Photographer put a match to the 35mm emulsion to the burned bubble effect and then sandwiched it with colored gels in a double exposur...
Category

1960s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Sound of the Sea
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Using an x-ray photograph as its basis, this expressive study in motion echoes work by Picasso and other modernists. Words that describe this piece: shell, Nauti...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Abstract Church - Manipulated Photography
Located in Miami, FL
This is an early example of photo manipulation. Photographer put a match to the 35mm emulsion to the burned bubble effect and then sandwiched it with colored gels in a double exposur...
Category

1960s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

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Expressionist abstract photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist abstract photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Rosa Basurto, Mitchell Funk, and Harold Davis. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Photographic Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Expressionist abstract photography, so small editions measuring 19.69 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $928 and tops out at $7,500, while the average work sells for $3,750.

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