Skip to main content

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.

to
2
5
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
2
5
2
2,468
2,193
194
153
68
66
65
28
25
16
10
1
4
2
1
7
7
4
4
4
4
2
1
5
2
Style: Expressionist
Mirando al Cielo 10 - Renaissance Style Landscape Photography Dreamscape Birds

Mirando al Cielo 10 - Renaissance Style Landscape Photography Dreamscape Birds

By Rosa Basurto

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. In this landscape image, a b...

Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital, C Print, Color

Mirando al Cielo 14 - Murmuration Starlings Swallows Poppy Field

Mirando al Cielo 14 - Murmuration Starlings Swallows Poppy Field

By Rosa Basurto

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. A million birds wheel and bat around the sky above a field of red poppies. The poppies shoot into the sky like a field of trees. In this composition Basurto plays with proportion and with perception of reality; are the flowers real...

Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital, C Print, Color

Manhattanhenge  Phenomenon,  Mystical Light Setting Sun,  Manhattan Solstice
Manhattanhenge  Phenomenon,  Mystical Light Setting Sun,  Manhattan Solstice

Manhattanhenge Phenomenon, Mystical Light Setting Sun, Manhattan Solstice

By Mitchell Funk

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
Abstract Church  - Manipulated Photography

Abstract Church - Manipulated Photography

By Mitchell Funk

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

Sound of the Sea

By Harold Davis

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
Abstract Church  - Manipulated Photography

Abstract Church - Manipulated Photography

By Mitchell Funk

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

Manhattanhenge  Phenomenon,  Mystical Light Setting Sun,  Manhattan Solstice
Manhattanhenge  Phenomenon,  Mystical Light Setting Sun,  Manhattan Solstice

Manhattanhenge Phenomenon, Mystical Light Setting Sun, Manhattan Solstice

By Mitchell Funk

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

Related Items
She Disappeared into Complete Silence (AD14558) - large abstract photograph
She Disappeared into Complete Silence (AD14558) - large abstract photograph

She Disappeared into Complete Silence (AD14558) - large abstract photograph

By Mona Kuhn

Located in San Francisco, CA

In the series 'She Disappeared into Complete Silence' (2014) Mona Kuhn takes a new direction into abstraction. She turns to a highly austere and restrained reductionist geometry and distilled formal purity, connecting the interior to the exterior, the visible to the hidden. These reflections cause one to linger, as they merge to create a dynamic equilibrium of tension, spaces and rythms. AD14558 (She Disappeared into Complete Silence) 60" x 45" / 152cm x 114cm edition of 8 + 2AP 40" x 30" / 102cm x 76cm edition of 8 + 2AP limited edition photograph is printed under artist supervision and accompanied by signed artist certificate: artist signature labels are 8x10 in size signed, editioned, dated and titled by the artist, and stamped for authenticity label __________________ About the artist Acclaimed for her contemporary depictions, Kuhn is considered a leading artist in the world of figurative discourse. Throughout a career spanning more than twenty years, the underlying theme of her work is her reflection on humanity’s longing for spiritual connection and solidarity. As she solidified her photographic style, Kuhn created a notable approach to the nude by developing friendships with her subjects, and employing a range of playful visual strategies that use natural light and minimalist settings to evoke a sublime sense of comfort between the human figure and its environment. Her work is natural, restful, and a reinterpretation of the nude in the canon of contemporary art. For the past two decades, the Los-Angeles based artist's works have been shown steadily, revealing an astonishing consistency in technique, of subject and of purpose. In 2001, Kuhn’s photographs were first seen by an influential audience during the exhibition at Charles Cowles Gallery in Chelsea, New York. Kuhn’s distinct aesthetic has propelled her as one of the most collectible contemporary art photographers—her work is in private and public collections worldwide and she is represented by galleries across the United States, Europe and Asia. Kuhn was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1969, of German descent. In 1989, Kuhn moved to the US and earned her BA from The Ohio State University, before furthering her studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is currently an independent scholar at The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Occasionally, Mona teaches at UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Mona Kuhn’s first monograph, Photographs, was debuted by Steidl in 2004; followed by Evidence (2007), Native (2010), Bordeaux Series (2011), Private (2014), and She Disappeared into Complete Silence (2018/19). In addition, Kuhn's monograph titled Bushes and Succulents has been published by Stanley/Barker Editions, with a debut at Jeu de Paume in Paris, In 2021, Thames & Hudson published a career retrospective titled Works. Kuhn's most recent publication Kings Road with Steidl accompanies a multi-dimensional museum traveling exhibition shown in Europe and the US. Mona Kuhn’s work is in private and public collections worldwide, including The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Hammer Museum, Perez Art Museum Miami, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Kiyosato Museum in Japan. Kuhn's work has been exhibited at The Louvre Museum and Le Bal in Paris; The Whitechapel Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in London; Musée de l’Elysée in Switzerland; Leopold Museum in Vienna Austria, The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver Canada, Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan and Australian Centre for Photography. Mona Kuhn lives and works in Los Angeles. __________________ Solo Exhibitions 2025 Mona Kuhn: Works, Museum of Contemporary Art, Malaga, Spain 2024 Mona Kuhn: The Schindler House, A Love Affair, Galerie XII, Los Angeles Mona Kuhn: Between Modernism and Surrealism, Houk Gallery, New York, NY 2023 Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Galerie XII, Paris, France Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Kunsthaus-Göttingen, Germany Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta 2022 Mona Kuhn: 835 Kings Road, Art, Design & Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara 2021 Mona Kuhn: Works, Galerie XII, Paris Mona Kuhn: Works, Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York Mona Kuhn: Works, Flowers Gallery, London Mona Kuhn: Works, Galerie XII, Los Angeles + Paris + Shanghai Mona Kuhn: 835 Kings Road, Art, Design and Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara 2020 Still Light, Jardin du Bra'haus, Montée du Château, Clervaux, Luxembourg Mona Kuhn: Early Depictions, Flowers Gallery, London Mona Kuhn: Intimate, UP Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan 2019 Bushes and Succulents, Euqinom Gallery, San Francisco Mona Kuhn: She Disappeared, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta Mona Kuhn: Experimental, Fruit Factory, Durham Triangle, North Carolina 2018 Mona Kuhn: New Works, Part II, Galerie Catherine Hug, Paris, France 2017 Mona Kuhn: The First Chapter, Euqinom Projects, San Francisco, California 2016 Mona Kuhn: New Works, Galerie Catherine Hug, Paris, France Acido Dorado, Galeria Pilar Serra, Madrid, Spain Mona Kuhn: New Works, Euqinom Gallery, San Francisco, California 2015 Private, Ravestijn Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Private, Galerie Ernst Hilger, Vienna, Austria 2014 Acido Dorado, Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York Acido Dorado, Flowers Gallery, London, UK Private, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia 2012 Bordeaux Series, Galerie Particuliere, Paris, France Native, Galeria Pilar Serra, Madrid, Spain Bordeaux Series, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia Bordeaux, Flowers Gallery, New York Native, Brancolini Grimaldi, Florence, Italy 2011 Bordeaux, Flowers Gallery, London, UK 2010 Native, Flowers Gallery, London, UK Native, Flowers Gallery, New York 2009 Native, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, California Native, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia 2008 Evidence, Jarach Gallery, Venice, Italy 2007 Evidence, Scott Nichols Gallery, San Francisco, California Evidence, Charles Cowles Gallery, New York Mona Kuhn, Estiarte Gallery, Madrid, Spain Evidence, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia Less Than Innocent, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, California 2005 Mona Kuhn – Recent Color Work, Charles Cowles Gallery, New York Mona Kuhn-Close, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia Unbounded Youth, Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, California 2004 Mona Kuhn-Color, Camerawork, Berlin, Germany New Work, G. Gibson Gallery, Seattle, Washington Corporeal Space, Galerie F5.6, Munique, Germany Mona Kuhn - Color Photographs, Scott Nichols Gallery, San Francisco, California Still Memory, PhotoEye...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Shades of Pale - abstract photograph of painterly details of blue toned wall
Shades of Pale - abstract photograph of painterly details of blue toned wall

Shades of Pale - abstract photograph of painterly details of blue toned wall

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

Shades of Pale (Wallscape) by Frank Schott from a series of photographic observances capturing urban textures and color palettes 29 x 40 inches / 74cm x 102cm edition of 25 si...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée

Sugarcane Moon-Limited Edition

Sugarcane Moon-Limited Edition

By Cheryl Maeder

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

30 x 45 inches ($5200) and 40 x 60 inches ($7200), limited editions of 10, printed on Archival Watercolor Fine Art Paper, 335 gram weight, signed by the artist. Cheryl Maeder was bo...

Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper

Airfield - large scale aerial observation of aeronautical facility
Airfield - large scale aerial observation of aeronautical facility

Airfield - large scale aerial observation of aeronautical facility

By Erik Pawassar

Located in San Francisco, CA

large scale photograph morphing into a mesmerizing abstract tapestry, a highly detailed aerial photograph, on closer observation morphing into an abstract pictorial tapestry of deser...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée

Cloud Study VII - large scale photograph of dramatic cloudscapes in summer sky
Cloud Study VII - large scale photograph of dramatic cloudscapes in summer sky

Cloud Study VII - large scale photograph of dramatic cloudscapes in summer sky

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

Large scale original art photography from a series of dramatic cloud atlas and abstract sky scapes observations above the Pacific Ocean Cloud Study VII by Frank Schott 75 x 58 inc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Wallscape V ( 40 x 32" / 102 x 81cm )
Wallscape V ( 40 x 32" / 102 x 81cm )

Wallscape V ( 40 x 32" / 102 x 81cm )

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

WALLSCAPE V by Frank Schott from a series of photographic observances capturing urban textures and wallscape color palettes 40 x 32 inches / 102cm x 81cm edition of 25 signed 60 x...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment

Cloud Study VII - large scale photograph of dramatic cloudscapes in summer sky
Cloud Study VII - large scale photograph of dramatic cloudscapes in summer sky

Cloud Study VII - large scale photograph of dramatic cloudscapes in summer sky

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

Large scale original art photography from a series of dramatic cloud atlas and abstract sky scapes observations above the Pacific Ocean Cloud Study VII by Frank Schott 40 x 32 inc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment

'Spring Rain' Photograph Cherry blossom Sakura flowers green white nature
'Spring Rain' Photograph Cherry blossom Sakura flowers green white nature

'Spring Rain' Photograph Cherry blossom Sakura flowers green white nature

By Sophia Milligan

Located in Penzance, GB

'Spring Rain' ('Mono No Aware' Series) 24 x 36" edition Limited edition archival photograph, hand signed and numbered. Unframed _________________ The cherry blossoms burst from naked...

Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Giclée, Archi...

Hemisphere I - large format photograph of abstract liquid cloudscapes in water
Hemisphere I - large format photograph of abstract liquid cloudscapes in water

Hemisphere I - large format photograph of abstract liquid cloudscapes in water

By Christian Stoll

Located in San Francisco, CA

large scale photography of mesmerizing color compositions of liquid cloudscape painting in water, hypnotizing abstract liquidscapes from the body of works titled 'Hemisphere' Hemisp...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée, Archival Ink

Autobahn - abstract birds eye view of freeway intersection traffic at night
Autobahn - abstract birds eye view of freeway intersection traffic at night

Autobahn - abstract birds eye view of freeway intersection traffic at night

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

birds eye overhead shot of abstract freeway intersection at night Autobahn by Frank Schott 30 x 30 inches / 76cm x 76cm signed edition of 25 42 x 42 inches / 107cm x 107cm signed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée

Caleidoscope II Abstract Photography, Signed Edition of 7, 67x48\"
Caleidoscope II Abstract Photography, Signed Edition of 7, 67x48\"

Caleidoscope II Abstract Photography, Signed Edition of 7, 67x48\"

By Christian Stoll

Located in San Francisco, CA

Mesmerizing abstract color play of muted tones and surreal shapes, from a series of still life works created entirely in camera Caleidoscope II by Christian Stoll 67 x 48 inches (1...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée

Project 12:31 [ House ] 48 x 69" / 122 x 175cm
Project 12:31 [ House ] 48 x 69" / 122 x 175cm

Project 12:31 [ House ] 48 x 69" / 122 x 175cm

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

PROJECT 12:31 [ HOUSE ] by Frank Schott long exposure light drawings using motion graphics of scientific scans to recreate the human form 48" x 69" / 122cm x 175cm edition of 7 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée

Previously Available Items
Mirando al Cielo 7  - Rosa Basurto, Weather, Landscape, Nature, Mist, Rainstorm

Mirando al Cielo 7 - Rosa Basurto, Weather, Landscape, Nature, Mist, Rainstorm

By Rosa Basurto

Located in Brighton, GB

Please be aware that the US recently imposed an import duty on photographs printed in the last 20 years which may apply if you are purchasing and importing this to the US. Mirando a...

Category

2010s Expressionist Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital

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.