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.
Bleed # 202391 (Abstract painting)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202391 (Abstract painting) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas — Unframed. Backed with extruded polystyrene, concrete, acrylic, enamel and pigments (8 cm / 3...
Plexiglass, C Print
$700
"Flowering Dogwood, Atlanta, Georgia X 16" Composite Image Photography - Cubism
By Peter Essick
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Flowering Dogwood, Atlanta, Georgia X 16" is an abstract photograph with hues of blue and cream. Peter Essick is a photographer, author, speaker, instructor, and drone pilot who sp...
Archival Pigment
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...
Paper
José Ortiz Echagüe, Spanish Heritage, 1930, Photogravure
Located in Barcelona, ES
Jose Ortiz Echagüe's Vision: Spanish Heritage in Photogravure, circa 1930 from 1930 Photography by Jose Ortiz Echagüe Photogravure Framed in black lacquered wood Dimensions: 31.5 cm ...
Paper
Bleed # 202150 (Abstract photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202150 (Abstract photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas — Unframed. Edition: 1/3. Paul Snell combines traditional and digital techniques to explore ...
Plexiglass, C Print
NY # 201802 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
NY # 201802 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 4.5mm Plexiglas - Unframed. Backed with Dibond and C-channel hanging system + keyhole option. Available on request 5...
Plexiglass, C Print
Gravity - Liquid 83 (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Gravity - Liquid 83 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Gravity Liquid series, Janiak creates visual representations of the idea that form cannot exist wi...
C Print
Bleed # 202351 (Abstract painting)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202351 (Abstract painting) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas — Unframed. Backed with extruded polystyrene, concrete, acrylic, enamel and pigments (8 cm / 3...
Plexiglass, C Print
$5,500
Times Square Upward View Of Skyscrapers With Moon, Signed Fine Art Color Print
Located in Miami, FL
Times Square neon and skyscraper at dusk. The work is signed, dated, and numbered 3/15 in the lower right recto corner, with other sizes available. It is unframed and printed later....
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
"Beech Trees, Fernbank Forest, Atlanta, Georgia X 16" - Abstract Landscape
By Peter Essick
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Beech Trees, Fernbank Forest, Atlanta, Georgia X 16" is an abstract photograph with hues of pink and brown. Peter Essick is a photographer, author, speak...
Archival Pigment
$1,575
Abstract Color Photography by Geoffrey Baris, Expressionist, Contemporary, Water
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Color Photography by Geoffrey Baris Archival pigment print on museum fine art paper Edition of 7 Includes certificate of authenticity. Signed and numbered by artist. Custom...
Color, Archival Pigment
$270Sale Price|67% Off
Ice in the Summer: Abstract Photography, Signed Limited Edition
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Photography done surprisingly on a hot autumn afternoon walk. Signed and limited to 5.
Photographic Paper
$335Sale Price|45% Off
Abstract Still-Life Photography from NY, Signed Limited Edition
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
NY long time ago, photography captured from a hotel room. Limited to 5 and signed.
Photographic Paper
Untitled 110/3
Located in London, GB
C Print. Unframed. Richard Caldicott is most well known for this earlier work series which used Tupperware containers as the subject for his photographs. This work is edition 7/15. ...
C Print
Lumina # 202210 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Lumina # 202210 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 4.5mm Matte Plexiglas Box - Unframed. Edition: 1/3 Backed with Dibond and C-channel hanging system + keyhole op...
Plexiglass, C Print
$316Sale Price|30% Off
Pillow III Photography, Abstract Style, Signed, 21st Century, 79x61 cm
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Pillow III. photography belongs to a concept of three photographies done on a sole bank in a park. Will be signed.
Photographic Paper
Intersect # 201506 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Intersect # 201506 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 4.5mm Plexiglas - Unframed Available on request 5-6 week turnaround. Backed with Dibond and C-channel hangin...
Plexiglass, C Print
California landscapes - Northern California Bodega Bay - CA 3 -Large photography
By MAE Curates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a series of photography of California, USA, from various photographers. We highlight the various aspects of California: its raw, natural beauty, with its vast expanse of land, clear blue sky and natural light. It is also a metropolis, given to a sense of freedom – to love and re-invent yourself as you please. It is also ancient land – land where dinosaurs roamed, Native Americans called home, Spanish explorers charted its land for more discovery of this gem. In modern times, environmentalists and residents fought to protect the land, setting landmarks in environmental and consumer protection. California leads the nation in many ways- the first to lend itself to causes: the freedom to love whomever and be whomever we want, welcome new peoples with warmth and entrepreneurship, be at the forefront of clean energy, invent new technology that changes the way the world lives and work, and the protection of our Earth. It is La La Land...
Metal
No. 48354 (Abstract Photography)
Located in London, GB
No. 48354 (Abstract Photography) Photography / Archival pigment print — Unframed. Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt. Available on request - 2 weeks turnaround. Print can be mounted to ...
Ink, Archival Pigment
Untitled 201 (Abstract Photography)
Located in London, GB
Untitled 201 (Abstract Photography) C print - Unframed. Richard Caldicott is most well known for this earlier work series which used Tupperware containers as the subject for his ph...
C Print
$1,994Sale Price|20% Off
Wish You Were Here - Large Scale Abstract Expressionist Art Photography
By Roger Reist
Located in Zürich, CH
Der Foto-Künstler, Roger Reist, reflektiert die Welt um uns herum und in seinen Bildern auf zauberhafte Weise: "Die gesellschaftlichen Muster zu erkennen, diese anhand von meinen Bil...
Color
Silence, Abstract Expressionism Photograph, Giclee Print, 3/5, 2022
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Silence / From the series of Portraits of Hidden Wounds / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2022 Dimension: 18 x 24" External Dimension( with white border) : Height:2...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$1,125
Barbara Hocker, Woven Water XXIV, encaustic, photograph, watercolor, Naturalism
Located in Darien, CT
Barbara Hocker sees her life’s vocation as being an ambassador for the natural world through her art. Nature is facing many challenges right now. Hock...
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Digital, Monotype, Watercolor, Panel
Barbara Hocker, Water Verse V, 2019, encaustic, photography, Naturalism
Located in Darien, CT
Barbara Hocker sees her life’s vocation as being an ambassador for the natural world through her art. Nature is facing many challenges right now. Hock...
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Digital
$1,100
Barbara Hocker, Water Moments III, 2019, encaustic, photography, Naturalism
Located in Darien, CT
Barbara Hocker sees her life’s vocation as being an ambassador for the natural world through her art. Nature is facing many challenges right now. Hock...
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Digital
Barbara Hocker, Water Moments 1, 2019, encaustic, photography, Naturalism
Located in Darien, CT
Barbara Hocker sees her life’s vocation as being an ambassador for the natural world through her art. Nature is facing many challenges right now. Hock...
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Digital
On the Edge of Nothingness, n16, Giclee Print, Abstract Art, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
On the edge of nothingness / n°16 / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2024 Dimension: 40 x 60” External Dimension( with white border) Height:40.8 in.( 103.63 cm) Width...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Color Kinesthesia 9A44
By Anne Senstad
Located in New York, NY
Color Kinesthesia 9A44 2012 Digital photographic c print from scanned original color film negatives. 60 x 50 inches Edition of 3 Anne Katrine Senstad’s photographic art, since the 1...
C Print
Passing Through 1 (Abstract photography)
Located in London, GB
Passing Through 1 (Abstract photography) Silver Gelatin Print - Unframed. Tenesh Webber is a Canadian artist who works in abstract black and white photography. She lives and works ...
Silver Gelatin
$6,480Sale Price|20% Off
Bleed # 202021 (Abstract photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202021 (Abstract photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas - Unframed. Available on request 5-6 week turnaround. Edition: 1/3. Paul Snell combines tra...
Plexiglass, C Print
Till It's Time to Go No. 3
Located in Westport, CT
Jeri Eisenberg creates nature inspired works in single panels, diptychs and triptychs. Her soft colored photographic pieces are created using non-traditional and alternative photo-ba...
Photographic Film, Encaustic, Handmade Paper
Untitled 70 (Abstract photography)
Located in London, GB
C print - Unframed. Richard Caldicott is most well known for this earlier work series which used Tupperware containers as the subject for his photographs. As he describes : "Tupper...
C Print
Chance/Fall (4)
Located in London, GB
C Print - Unframed As the title suggests, Chance/Fall emanates from Caldicott’s improvised method. This abstract composition with overlapping and drifting layers of shimmering colo...
C Print
Gravity - Liquid 19 (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Gravity - Liquid 19 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Gravity Liquid series, Janiak creates visual representations of the idea that form cannot exist wi...
C Print
Cosmosis Collages 24A577C no 123 Pink (Abstract Photography)
By Anne Senstad
Located in London, GB
Cosmosis Collages 24A577C no 123 Pink (Abstract Photography) Photographic C Prints, printed on Canson Platinè fiber Rag 310g - Unframed "Edition of 6 + 2Ap Turnaround time 2-3 we...
Paper, C Print
$306Sale Price|20% Off
Pillow II Abstract Photography on Paper, Signed, 21st Century
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Pillow II. photography belongs to a concept of three photographies done on a sole bank in a park. Will be signed.
Photographic Paper
$306Sale Price|20% Off
Gold in Grey Photography, Abstract Style, Signed, 30x30 cm Artwork
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Gold in Grey, photography, signed and inspired by a pool and a hot summer day.
Paper, Photographic Paper
$306Sale Price|43% Off
Blue in Grey Abstract Photography, Signed, 30x30cm, 21st Century
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Blue in Grey is a part from an originally bigger picture. I like the pattern. Signed. Photography will be signed and if adjusted in a frame would be looking great.
Paper, Photographic Paper
Spring Blooming In Central Park, Fine Art Print Hahnemuhle Paper Baryta
Located in Miami, FL
The work is signed, dated, and numbered 4/15 in the lower right recto corner, with other sizes available. It is unframed and printed later. Printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper. Mi...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$278Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Photography on Paper: Pillow I, Signed, 21st Century
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Pillow I. is a special pillow - made from stone, located in a park. I liked the pattern, signed photography.
Photographic Paper
Cosmosis Collages 4A577E3 Comp no 70 (Abstract Photography)
By Anne Senstad
Located in London, GB
Cosmosis Collages 4A577E3 Comp no 70 (Abstract Photography) Photographic C Prints, printed on Canson Platinè fiber Rag 310g - Unframed "Edition of 6 + 2Ap Turnaround time 2-3 we...
Paper, C Print
Soft Geometry # 13c (Abstract Photography)
By Anne Senstad
Located in London, GB
Soft Geometry # 13c (Abstract Photography) Photographic C Prints, printed on Canson Platinè fiber Rag 310g - Unframed "Edition of 6 + 2Ap Turnaround...
Paper, C Print
Color Kinesthesia 5B39 Yellow (Abstract Photography)
By Anne Senstad
Located in London, GB
Color Kinesthesia 5B39 Yellow (Abstract Photography) Photographic C Prints, printed on Canson Platinè fiber Rag 310g - Unframed "Edition of 3 + 2Ap Turnaround time 2-3 weeks, pri...
Paper, C Print
$278Sale Price|20% Off
Absolut Abstract Photography, Limited Edition 10, Signed, 21st Century
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Absolut is an abstract photography, limited to 10 and signed. I like the momentum mood which the photography is evoking - for me F. Kupka. The picture was taken during a work process...
Photographic Paper
No. 49216 (Abstract Photography)
Located in London, GB
No. 49216 (Abstract Photography) Archival ink print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag - Unframed. Artwork is exclusive to IdeelArt. Image size: 80 x 60 cm/31.4 x 23.6 inches Available on request - 2 weeks turnaround. Print can be mounted to 4mm Dibond, price on request. Larger sizes are available on request. The photographic artworks of Sebastiaan Knot...
Ink, Archival Pigment
$5,500
Starlite Art Deco Hotel On Miami Beach Fine Art Print Hahnemuhle Paper Baryta
Located in Miami, FL
Starlite Hotel Miami Beach Art Deco. The work is signed, dated, and numbered 4/15 in the lower right recto corner, with other sizes available. It is unframed and printed later. Prin...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Concorde Hangar, Aerospatiale Concorde
Located in New York City, NY
27 x 44 in Edition of 9 EUR 3.500 35 x 57 in Edition of 9 EUR 5.500 48 x 71 in Edition of 9 EUR 7.100 Dye Sublimation on Aluminum 48 x 77 in Edition of 9 EUR 9.100 Dye Sublimation...
Dye Transfer
Résonance - water drop 84 (Medium) (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Résonance - water drop 84 (Medium) (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Résonance series, Janiak explores the role of sound in creation. Taking inspiration from sacred texts from multiple spiritual traditions, he points to a recurring idea that sounds, or words, were the initial source of the energy that shaped the universe. To examine the shape of sound, Janiak illuminated water then vibrated it using different sound frequencies. Each frequency has a particular effect on the water, manifesting shapes, forms and patterns that would otherwise be invisible to the eye. Seb Janiak is a photographic artist whose work explores conditions in which opposites can co-exist, revealing the visual characteristics of the hidden forces...
C Print
$278Sale Price|48% Off
Yellow Circle Abstract Photography, Limited Edition of 5, Signed
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Spicy yellow photography, abstract in limited edition of 5, signed by the author. It is up to YOU what you see...
Photographic Paper
Bleed # 202129 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202129 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas - Unframed. Backed with Dibond and C-channel hanging system + keyhole option. Edition 1/3...
Plexiglass, C Print
Gravity - Liquid 21 (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Gravity - Liquid 21 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Gravity Liquid series, Janiak creates visual representations of the idea that form cannot exist without an environment. There are the visible forms we see in the world, and then there are the conditions that allow those forms to exist. As a catalyst for his exploration of this topic, Janiak chose gravity, one of the most ubiquitous and easily observable forces, and the one that allows so many forms in the physical universe to exist. The photographs in these series show two types of matter—liquids and gasses—being manipulated by gravity. Form is frozen by the photographic process, but the process is ever changing depending on the shifting conditions of their environment. Seb Janiak is a photographic artist whose work explores conditions in which opposites can co-exist, revealing the visual characteristics of the hidden forces...
C Print
EM-3 Vajrayogini
By Bill Kane
Located in London, GB
Pigment on canvas - Unframed. Edition of 3. The Emanations series is an attempt to express the spiritual potential of the most essential aspect of photography: light. Each work in ...
Canvas, Pigment
EM-39 Medicine Buddha 3 (Abstract Photography)
By Bill Kane
Located in London, GB
EM-39 Medicine Buddha 3 (Abstract Photography) Pigment on canvas - Unframed. Edition of 3. The Emanations series is an attempt to express the spirit...
Canvas, Pigment
$278Sale Price|48% Off
STAIN Photography Abstract, Limited Edition of 5, Signed, 45x58 cm
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
This is a photography / limited to 5 from an oil on canvas painting, which I paint over. It's look strange but interesting.
Photographic Paper
Bleed # 202124 (Abstract photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202124 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas - Unframed. Edition: 3/3. Paul Snell combines traditional and digital techniques to explor...
Plexiglass, C Print
Gravity - Liquid 21 (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Gravity - Liquid 21 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Gravity Liquid series, Janiak creates visual representations of the idea that form cannot exist wi...
C Print
Unlock (Abstract photography)
Located in London, GB
Unlock (Abstract photography) Silver Gelatin Print - Unframed. Tenesh Webber is a Canadian artist who works in abstract black and white photography. She lives and works in the New ...
Silver Gelatin
Orb # 201906 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Orb # 201906 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas - Unframed. Available on request - 4 week turnaround. Backed with extruded polystyrene, conc...
Plexiglass, C Print
Gravity - Liquid 58 (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Gravity - Liquid 58 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Gravity Liquid series, Janiak creates visual representations of the idea that form cannot exist wi...
C Print
Magnetic radiation 99 (Large) (Abstract photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Magnetic radiation 99 (Large) (Abstract photography) Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5. In his Magnetic Radiation series, Janiak reveals the hidden world of magnetism by photographing ferrofluids. A ferrofluid is a liquid substance magnetized through the introduction of iron particles. Janiak introduced magnetic forces to the ferrofluid, moving the magnets into different configurations to cause the colloidal mixture to assume various forms that reveal the otherwise invisible nature of magnetic activity. The forms reveal ancient forces, those that shaped the universe at its beginning. Seb Janiak is a photographic artist whose work explores conditions in which opposites can co-exist, revealing the visual characteristics of the hidden forces...
C Print