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Abstract Photography

ABSTRACT STYLE

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.

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Style: Abstract
"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48'x48' inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor
"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48'x48' inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor

Giuliano Bekor"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48'x48' inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor, 2010

$15,000

"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48'x48' inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor

By Giuliano Bekor

Located in Culver City, CA

"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48'x48' inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor Emulsion series. Title of artwork: EM27 Year: 2010 Print size: 48x48 Inches trim bleed Rarity: Limite...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

A Tortoise. Limited edition color photograph
A Tortoise. Limited edition color photograph

Dubravka LazicA Tortoise. Limited edition color photograph, 2024

$2,100

A Tortoise. Limited edition color photograph

By Dubravka Lazic

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

A Mouse. Limited edition color photograph
A Mouse. Limited edition color photograph

Dubravka LazicA Mouse. Limited edition color photograph, 2024

$2,100

A Mouse. Limited edition color photograph

By Dubravka Lazic

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

At the Beach

Marian CrosticAt the Beach, 2025

$1,200

At the Beach

By Marian Crostic

Located in Los Angeles, CA

At the Beach Edition 1/15 Archival pigment print “Water's Edge” a collection of photos by Marian Crostic defines the power of the ocean and the land which borders it. Having spent ...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

After Man Ray, Solarized Image of Georges Braque, 1982, Photogravure
After Man Ray, Solarized Image of Georges Braque, 1982, Photogravure

Man RayAfter Man Ray, Solarized Image of Georges Braque, 1982, Photogravure

$1,023

After Man Ray, Solarized Image of Georges Braque, 1982, Photogravure

By Man Ray

Located in Barcelona, ES

Immerse yourself in the surrealist world of Man Ray with this framed black and white photograph, a masterpiece of surrealist art. Printed in heliogravure, this artwork is part of a l...

Category

1980s Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper

Navel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 10

Ugne PouwellNavel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 10, 2025

$1,246Sale Price|20% Off

Navel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 10

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

Navel of the Dream presents a suspended field of sensation, lines converge into shadow, textures ripple softly outward, and light hovers without seeking to define. There is no fixed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper

Navel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 20

Ugne PouwellNavel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 20, 2025

$433Sale Price|20% Off

Navel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 20

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

Navel of the Dream presents a suspended field of sensation, lines converge into shadow, textures ripple softly outward, and light hovers without seeking to define. There is no fixed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper

Gaia 44, Black and White Diptych of Skeleton Trees, Limited Edition

Jaume LlorensGaia 44, Black and White Diptych of Skeleton Trees, Limited Edition

$577

Gaia 44, Black and White Diptych of Skeleton Trees, Limited Edition

By Jaume Llorens

Located in Brighton, GB

Gaia 44 by Jaume Llorens Bach Gaia 44 is a 18cm x 24cm Black-and-White print on Premio Kozo 180gsm White Paper by Awagami Factory This size in a Limited Edition of 10 + 2 Artist's ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Black and White, Digital

The Coalas. Limited edition color photograph
The Coalas. Limited edition color photograph

Dubravka LazicThe Coalas. Limited edition color photograph, 2024

$2,100

The Coalas. Limited edition color photograph

By Dubravka Lazic

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Abstract photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic 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 photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, red, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Mitchell Funk, Paul Snell, Michael Banks, and Seb Janiak. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Pigment Print and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract photography, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available. Prices for 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 $50 and tops out at $36,000, while the average work sells for $3,359.

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