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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
Multilayer 328 - unique abstract collage of layered torn sculpture photographs
Multilayer 328 - unique abstract collage of layered torn sculpture photographs

Multilayer 328 - unique abstract collage of layered torn sculpture photographs

By Felix Schramm

Located in San Francisco, CA

Multilayer 328 unique abstract photo paper collage (1 of 1), signed 28.8" x 21.7" / 73cm x 55cm About the artist Felix Schramm was born in Hamburg, Ger...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Inkjet, Archiv...

Set of 2 Photographs. Cyanotype photograph of the ocean waves
Set of 2 Photographs. Cyanotype photograph of the ocean waves

Set of 2 Photographs. Cyanotype photograph of the ocean waves

By Paola Davila

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Water is constant in the artist's visual investigation, for her water is no longer the stage in which the body's memory bursts, but rather the environment and protagonist, constant o...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Cotton, Archival Pigment

Snowdance - Mountain Snowboarding Black & White Art Photography
Snowdance - Mountain Snowboarding Black & White Art Photography

Snowdance - Mountain Snowboarding Black & White Art Photography

Located in Zürich, CH

Hailing from the picturesque city of Zaragoza, nestled near the Pyrenees, Carlos Blanchard's journey into the realm of photography was influenced by the rich tapestry of his upbringi...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Black and White

Forest Embers, Giclée Print Diptych Landscape, Warm Tons Abstract Autumn Leaves
Forest Embers, Giclée Print Diptych Landscape, Warm Tons Abstract Autumn Leaves

Forest Embers, Giclée Print Diptych Landscape, Warm Tons Abstract Autumn Leaves

Located in Barcelona, ES

Cyd Fontaine (Lausanne, 1992) is a contemporary artist renowned for her captivating use of dreamy atmospheric gradients, which has helped her carve a distinctive niche in the world o...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Untitled (W.O.F 15-2)

Untitled (W.O.F 15-2)

By Christopher Colville

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Works of Fire When I look into the night sky I am awestruck by the darkness that is the universe. As the sparse light of the stars descends, I am entangled in a state of wonder, sea...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Crosshatch
Crosshatch

Crosshatch

Located in Plano, TX

" "Crosshatch" is a classic example of my abstract PhotoLuminism technique. When light travels, the human eye cannot see its trails, but the camera can. Capturing images that are int...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Black and White

Blue Bird Abstract Landscape Photography, Limited Edition of 5

Blue Bird Abstract Landscape Photography, Limited Edition of 5

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

Blue Bird is a quiet study in reflection, shadow, and stillness. A mountain ridge dissolves into deep black, its form mirrored in a soft, spectral blue. The image, flipped and near a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper

Set of 3 Photographs. Cyanotype photograph of the ocean waves
Set of 3 Photographs. Cyanotype photograph of the ocean waves

Set of 3 Photographs. Cyanotype photograph of the ocean waves

By Paola Davila

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Water is constant in the artist's visual investigation, for her water is no longer the stage in which the body's memory bursts, but rather the environment and protagonist, constant o...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Cotton

Desert Daze - light effect in California desert landscape with endless horizon
Desert Daze - light effect in California desert landscape with endless horizon

Desert Daze - light effect in California desert landscape with endless horizon

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

a series of images capturing the epic scale of the iconic landscapes of the American West Desert Daze by Frank Schott 48 x 64 inches / 122cm x 162cm signed edition of 7 30 x ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée

Dahlia Ink: Black and White Floral Photography, Limited Edition of 10

Dahlia Ink: Black and White Floral Photography, Limited Edition of 10

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Dahlia on Ink' 2023 Black and white floral film photography combination with ink painting. Made using a large format 4x5 film camera, developed in the studio by the artist. Prin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Ink, Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Giclée

Corkscrews
Corkscrews

Corkscrews

Located in Plano, TX

"Corkscrew" is a classic example of my abstract PhotoLuminism technique. When light travels, the human eye cannot see its trails, but the camera can and does. Capturing images this w...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Metal

Multilayer 301  - layered abstract collage of unique torn original photographs
Multilayer 301  - layered abstract collage of unique torn original photographs

Multilayer 301 - layered abstract collage of unique torn original photographs

By Felix Schramm

Located in San Francisco, CA

Multilayer 301 unique abstract photo paper collage (1 of 1), signed 39" x 31.5" / 100cm x 80cm About the artist Felix Schramm was born in Hamburg, Germa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Paper, Archival Paper, In...

'Lily in Charcoal' abstract expressionism photography edition of 10
'Lily in Charcoal' abstract expressionism photography edition of 10

'Lily in Charcoal' abstract expressionism photography edition of 10

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Lily in Charcoal' 2023 From raw energy to sublime. 'Lily in Charcoal' is an expression piece combining an abstract charcoal drawing with a live lily emerging from a gash. The charc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Photographic Film, Charcoal, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Untitled (W.O.F 17-16)

Untitled (W.O.F 17-16)

By Christopher Colville

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Works of Fire When I look into the night sky I am awestruck by the darkness that is the universe. As the sparse light of the stars descends, I am entangled in a state of wonder, sea...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Multilayer 285 - unique abstract collage of layered torn sculpture photographs
Multilayer 285 - unique abstract collage of layered torn sculpture photographs

Multilayer 285 - unique abstract collage of layered torn sculpture photographs

By Felix Schramm

Located in San Francisco, CA

Multilayer 285 unique abstract photo paper collage (1 of 1) signed 39" x 31.5" / 100cm x 80cm About the artist Felix Schramm was born in Hamburg, German...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Silver Gelatin, Archival ...

Untitled (W.O.F 2-16)

Untitled (W.O.F 2-16)

By Christopher Colville

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Works of Fire When I look into the night sky I am awestruck by the darkness that is the universe. As the sparse light of the stars descends, I am entangled in a state of wonder, sea...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

'Lily in Charcoal no.3' abstract expressionism photography edition of 10
'Lily in Charcoal no.3' abstract expressionism photography edition of 10

'Lily in Charcoal no.3' abstract expressionism photography edition of 10

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Lily in Charcoal no.3' 2023 From raw energy to sublime. 'Lily in Charcoal No.3' is an expression piece combining an abstract charcoal drawing with a live lily emerging from a gash....

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Photographic Film, Charcoal, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Untitled (W.O.F 15-3)

Untitled (W.O.F 15-3)

By Christopher Colville

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Works of Fire When I look into the night sky I am awestruck by the darkness that is the universe. As the sparse light of the stars descends, I am entangled in a state of wonder, sea...

Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph
Lily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph

Lily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Lily in Charcoal no.2' 2023 From raw energy to sublime. 'Lily in Charcoal No.2' is an expression piece combining an abstract charcoal drawing with a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Photographic Film, Charcoal, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Daydream - abstract colour photography Limited edition of 20
Daydream - abstract colour photography Limited edition of 20

Daydream - abstract colour photography Limited edition of 20

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Daydream' London, United Kingdom 2020 Limited edition of 20. The photograph is signed front and back and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Carefully placed in a secure ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Giclée, Color

Italian Vintage Dye Transfer Photograph Franco Fontana Color Landscape Photo
Italian Vintage Dye Transfer Photograph Franco Fontana Color Landscape Photo

Italian Vintage Dye Transfer Photograph Franco Fontana Color Landscape Photo

By Franco Fontana

Located in Surfside, FL

Franco Fontana (Italian, born 1933) Title: Landscape 1987 Edition 6/15 Medium: dye-transfer Dimensions: Frame 21.5 x 27.5. Sight 12 x 20. Provenance: Monique Goldstrom Gallery Franco Fontana (Italian, 1933) is an Italian photographer. He is best known for his Minimalist abstract colour landscapes. He was influenced by Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism. Franco Fontana was born in 1933 in Modena. He started taking photographs in the 1950s when he was working as a decorator in a furniture showroom. In 1961 he joined a local amateur club in Modena. The experience would be a turning point in his career, and Fontana went on to have his first solo exhibition in 1965 at the Società Fotografica Subalpina, Turin and at the Galleria della Sala di Cultura in Modena in 1968. Since then he has participated in more than 400 group and solo exhibitions including the exhibit Lines, Spheres and Glyphs at Robert Klein Gallery with works by photographers: Franco Fontana, Mario Giacomelli, Ernst Haas, Gyorgy Kepes and Aaron Siskind. Franco Fontana is considered one of the most relevant photographers of our time, In 1963 he exhibited his work at the Biennale of Color in Vienna, and in 1968 he held his first solo exhibition in Modena. Fontana often pares landscapes down to their essential elements, producing flat, geometric compositions reminiscent of the color field abstract expressionist paintings of Mark Rothko Ad Reinhardt and Barnett Newman, by underexposing his transparencies. Contrasting blue skies with green or yellow grass and the rigid lines of buildings with the softness of puffy clouds, he makes color and texture his primary subjects. He has also shot in Polaroid film, Cibachrome, C Print and chromogenic prints. His art has been acquired by some of the most important museums worldwide, including the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, MoMA in New York, Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Museum of Modern Art in Norman, Oklahoma, National Gallery in Beijing, Australian National Gallery in Melbourne, University of Texas in Austin, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville in Paris. Fontana has photographed for advertising campaigns for brands such as Fiat, Volkswagen, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, Snam, Sony, Volvo, Versace, Canon, Kodak, Robe di Kappa, Swissair, and has been a magazine photographer for publications including Time, Life, Vogue (USA and France), Venerdì di Repubblica, Panorama, and with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and The New York Times. Fontana's first book, Skyline, was published in 1978 in France by Contrejour and in Italy by Punto e Virgola with a text by Helmut Gernsheim. Fontana is the art director of the Toscana Foto Festival. He has received numerous awards, such as the 1989 Tokyo Photographer Society of Japan - The 150 Years of Photography - Photographer Award. Fontana is especially interested in the interplay of colours. His early innovations in colour photography in the 1960s were stylistically disruptive. According to art critic Giuliana Scimé, Fontana "destroyed all the structures, practices, and technical choices within the Italian tradition." Fontana uses 35mm cameras, and as noted by Iwan Zahar, deploys distant viewpoints with telephoto lenses to flatten contours in a landscape of crops and fields into bands of intense, saturated colour. This is an effect that Franco Lefèvre has described as 'dialectical landscapism'. Of his use of colour in his 2019 retrospective exhibition Sintesi ('Synthesis') at Fondazione Modena Arti Visive, curator Diana Baldon has observed; “His bold geometric compositions are characterised by shimmering colours, level perspectives and a geometric-formalist and minimal language, By adopting this approach during the 1960s, Fontana injected a new vitality into the field of creative colour photography for then multicolour was not in fashion in art photography., The way Fontana shoots, dematerializes the objects photographed, which loose three-dimensionality and realism to become part of an abstract drawing”. Aside from the rural landscape Fontana has applied his graphic sensibility to other subjects: city architecture, portraiture, fashion, still-life and the nude. He was included in the exhibition of the Helmut Newton Collection along with Brassaï, Diane Arbus, Franco Fontana, Horst P. Horst, Irving Penn, June Newton, Just Loomis, Man Ray, Mark Arbeit...

Category

1980s Abstract Photography

Materials

Dye Transfer

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.