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.
Golf Course Green
Located in Miami, FL
Golf Green A large area of Yellowish Green covers the pictorial surface and accented by a terra cotta building in the foreground. The photographer captures the perfect moment on wha...
Photographic Paper
Manhattan Bridge and Yellow Sign
Located in Miami, FL
Manhattan Bridge and Yellow Sign is a trailblazing work done decade ahead of it's time. The work depicts a common New York scene but rendered in deep saturated blues and eye poppin...
Photographic Paper
New York Street Abstract
Located in Miami, FL
New York Street Abstract . This is actually a straight shot. Taken from a high angle looking down, the photographer uses reflective neon street light...
Photographic Paper
Cable Car Silhouette at Sunset San Francisco
Located in Miami, FL
Dreamy color scheme and reflections of light on the cable car tracks evokes an ethereal mood to this well know Nob Hill location. Signed and dated on lower right, numbered on verso...
Photographic Paper
Colorful Eiffel Tower
Located in Miami, FL
a colorfully lit circus carousel in the foreground gives counterpoint to Frances iconic 19 wrought iron lattice tower
Photographic Paper
$1,000
Lampone, Abstract Digital Pigment Print, Signed, 2010s, 25x25 in.
Located in New York, NY
15x 15 inches image size 25 x 25 inches paper size Please Note: This work is framed; the framed photograph shows the print with the 5 inch paper border Pigment print on Kodak meta...
Digital Pigment
42nd St. Diamond Stud
Located in Miami, FL
Adult movie marquees of old 42nd street in 1970. Double header, ABC's of Marriage and Diamond Stud Signature: Signed and dated on lower right, numbered on verso Edition 2 of 15. U...
Photographic Film, Inkjet
Between Rain
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10. Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT an...
C Print
Amanda Bynes - Leaving a boutique in West Hollywood 9/712012
Located in Atlanta, GA
Spencer Sloan is a mixed-media artist whose recent work, digitally manipulating paparazzi photographs into abstraction using a series of image-corrupting applications, stems from his years spent as a pop-culture blogger. Sloan received his BFA in Painting from the University of Georgia and studied graphic design at The Creative Circus. In 2015, Sloan was commissioned by Dolby to create a piece for their San Francisco headquarters which was featured in Fast Company magazine. Sloan lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. Archival pigment print. Edition 1 of 1 Spencer Sloan is inspired by the work of Hieronymus Bosch, Richard Diebenkorn, Ralph Steadman.
Inkjet
$3,800
"Jessica Alba - riding her bike in Malibu, July 5, 2015" Colorful Abstract Photo
Located in Atlanta, GA
Spencer Sloan is a mixed-media artist whose recent work, digitally manipulating paparazzi photographs into abstraction using a series of image-corrupting applications, stems from his...
Inkjet
Golden Dawn
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10. Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT an...
C Print
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
"Pool Donuts" original framed and signed photograph by Roman Crescimanno
Located in Dallas, TX
This finely framed photograph beautifully captures a moment of tranquil abstraction. The image features the silhouette of pool donuts resting on the bottom of a pool, their round sha...
Photographic Paper
Light Path
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10. Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT an...
C Print
$10,000
Echo
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10. Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT an...
C Print
$12,500
Sea Pen
By Chris Leidy
Located in Fairfield, CT
Palm Beach native and grandson of iconic fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer, Chris Leidy grew up with a deep admiration for the ocean and aquatic life and has made his mark as a world-r...
C Print
Moon Bathers
By Chris Leidy
Located in Fairfield, CT
In this fast moving world, photographer Chris Leidy has found his inspiration within the depths of global oceans. Under water, Chris captures a vision – a flash in time – through his...
Photographic Paper
Sagaponack Liquid Gold
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10. Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT and...
C Print
Celebration 11, Mixed Media Digital Print, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: collection of stills taken from Celebration, 2015. This video compilation celebrates gesture. Unlike “Goodbye Friend” where DeRosato slowly glitches the likeness...
Photographic Paper
Celebration 17, Mixed Media Digital Print, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: From a collection of stills taken from Celebration, 2015. This video compilation celebrates gesture. Unlike “Goodbye Friend” where DeRosato slowly glitches the li...
Photographic Paper
As Far As The Eye Can See, Mixed Media Digital Print, 2017
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: the inevitable continuation of pain Keywords: landscape, eyes, targets, surreal, surrealism, stare, ocean, clouds Artist Biography: Daniel DeRosato is a freelan...
Photographic Paper
Chimera_C, Mixed Media Digital Print, 2017
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Included in Artrageous28!, Montserrat College of Art's yearly auction to benefit financial aid for students. Keywords: abstract, digital, print, photo, glitch Ar...
Photographic Paper
Ferry Ride
Located in Fairfield, CT
Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT and SEA series, and all other water related series, a...
C Print
Celebration1, Original Abstract Photograph, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: From a collection of stills taken from Celebration, 2015. This video compilation celebrates gesture. Unlike “Goodbye Friend” where DeRosato slowly glitches the l...
Photographic Paper
Celebration3, Original Abstract Photograph, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: From a collection of stills taken from Celebration, 2015. This video compilation celebrates gesture. Unlike “Goodbye Friend” where DeRosato slowly glitches the l...
Photographic Paper
Celebration6, Original Abstract Photograph, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: From a collection of stills taken from Celebration, 2015. This video compilation celebrates gesture. Unlike “Goodbye Friend” where DeRosato slowly glitches the l...
Photographic Paper
Edd, Abstract Photograph, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: glitched each RGB channel, resulting in the image pulling apart in different locations. Thank you Eddie. Keywords: glitch, digital, digital art, print, abstract, ...
Photographic Paper
Daniela, Original Abstract Photograph, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: glitched each RGB channel, resulting in the image pulling apart in different locations. Thank you Daniela. Keywords: glitch, digital, digital art, print, abstract...
Photographic Paper
Blanket6, Abstract Photograph, 2015
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Your purchase through TurningArt can be displayed as either a high quality print, or it's true original form as a woven blanket. Please contact TurningArt for more...
Fabric
Faces1 - Part Of Un·I·Den·Ti·Fi·A·Ble Series, Abstract Photograph, 2015
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: part of un·i·den·ti·fi·a·ble series – inspiration was to work with a portrait and distort the image until the face became invisible. "removing identities until the...
Photographic Paper
Blus, Abstract Photograph, 2016
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Glitching a greyscale image to reveal color in the file - part of the original set of glitches. Keywords: glitch, digital, digital art, print, abstract, colorful ...
Photographic Paper
Faces3 - Part Of Un·I·Den·Ti·Fi·A·Ble Series, Abstract Photograph, 2015
By Dan Derosato
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: part of un·i·den·ti·fi·a·ble series – inspiration was to work with a portrait and distort the image until the face became invisible. "removing identities until the...
Photographic Paper
$3,375Sale Price|25% Off
"On the edge of nothingness, n1" Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
On the edge of nothingness / n1 / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2024 Dimension: 24 x 36” - External Dimension( with white border) : Height: 25.6 in.( 65.02 cm) Wid...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
"On the edge of nothingness, n3" Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
On the edge of nothingness / n°3 / 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, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$3,500
"On the edge of nothingness, n11"Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
On the edge of nothingness / n11 / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2024 Dimension: 24 x 36” - External Dimension( with white border) : Height: 25.6 in.( 65.02 cm) Wid...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$3,600
"Rhapsody, Lights of New York" Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rhapsody / from the series of Lights of New York / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2022 Dimension: 48 x 36” External Dimension( with white border) : Height: 48.8 in....
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Big Sur #4
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Jay Mark Johnson, BIG SUR #4, Big Sur 2012, Archival pigment, paper, aluminum, wood frame, 25.5" x 85.5", Edition 1/9, FRAMED $12,500
Archival Pigment
$4,500
"On the Edge of Nothingness, n5" Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
On the edge of nothingness / n°5 / 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, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$8,500
"Absent" Portraits of Hidden Wounds, Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Absent / From the series of Portraits of Hidden Wounds / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2023 Dimension: 48 x 36 External Dimension( with white border) : Height: 48....
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Night Sky
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gary Goldberg Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Night Sky, 2018 Archival pigmented print 19 x 13 in Edition of 10 Gary Goldberg has been photographing the unique qualities of Oaxaca C...
Archival Pigment
Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Pink Wave
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gary Goldberg Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Pink Wave, 2019 Archival pigmented print 11 x 33 in Edition of 10 Gary Goldberg has been photographing the unique qualities of Oaxaca C...
Archival Pigment
Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Red Band in the Universe
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gary Goldberg Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Red Band in the Universe, 2018 Archival pigmented print 30 x 20 in Edition of 3 Gary Goldberg has been photographing the unique qualiti...
Archival Pigment
Spanish
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 2/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Piet 1
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Piet 2
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiered his latest series of photographic murals entitled Analogies & Metaphors in New York City. Andrew’s work has been in 20 international exhibitions, most recently in Japan and Korea (where accompanying books of his work were published) and Germany. Andrew’s internationally acclaimed photography and interview project, Right, before I die, traveled abroad 7 times and attracted more than half a million visitors at its various venues. Andrew has won numerous awards for his photography and has appeared in The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, CBS News...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Northeaster 2
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Northeaster 1
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 2/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Maple Drive
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Barnett (green)
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 2/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Alden 1
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss, 2003. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently pr...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
$5,000
Summer storm over the blue Danube / Acrylic, photograph on canvas / 50 x 70 cm
By Tadeusz Zych
Located in Kraków, Województwo małopolskie
The painting "Summer storm over the beautiful Danube" is a combination of the author's photograph of the statue of Johan Strauss' son, taken in Vienna, c...
Acrylic
Shingles (green)
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss, 2003. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 3/3 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently pr...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Shingles (red)
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss, 2003. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 3/3 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently pr...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Turkish Landscape
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss, 2008. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 2/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently pr...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Moonrise (over Tivoli)
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/3 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Jetsam
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss, 2003. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 2/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently pr...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Ellsworth
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 3/3 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Across 2
Located in New York, NY
Lambda digital-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Archival Super Gloss. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered 1/2 on verso. Artist Andrew George is based in Los Angeles. He recently premiere...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Mohamed Yakub White Gray Abstract Flower Oculus Architectural Figurative
Located in Nantucket, MA
Printed on Hahnemuhle paper. 310gsm 100% cellulose. This paper gives the illusion of velvet- gorgeous texture to image. Epson Ultrachrome ProInk printer. Unframed image is 35.5"h x 33"w. Available unframed plus shipping in a tube. Photograph can be printed larger sizes. This photograph is part of the Oculus Series. Mohamed roamed the Oculus Transportation building designed by Calatrava in NYC. Formal, elegant and other worldly. Mohamad does not use titles for his photographs. Such naming or framing can constrain or shape a viewer’s engagement with an image. Without such titles, his imagery conjures imaginative spaces, movement and flow, worlds without the constraints of gravity, a visionary place of the mind or an otherworldly cosmos. In this way, his earlier fascination with streams of...
Archival Paper
Mohamed Yakub Abstract Oculus Architecture White Gray Photograph, Kenyan
Located in Nantucket, MA
Printed on Hahnemuhle paper, 310gsm 100% cellulose. This paper gives you a velvet like finish to the photograph. Printed on Epson Ultrachrome ProInk. Available in larger sizes. Unframed image is 24"h x 41"w. priced at $5200 plus shipping in a tube. This photograph is part of a Book of images he created with his photography of the Oculus Transportation Building in NYC designed by Calatrava. Mohamad does not use titles for his photographs. Such naming or framing can constrain or shape a viewer’s engagement with an image. Without such titles, his imagery conjures imaginative spaces, movement and flow, worlds without the constraints of gravity, a visionary place of the mind or an otherworldly cosmos. In this way, his earlier fascination with streams of light...
Archival Paper
Turkish House
Located in New York, NY
Type-c print on Ilford Ilfoflex Semimatte, 2003. Signed, dated, and numbered 1/2 on verso. In the series ‘Weights & Measures’ (2003) Andrew George turns his lens towards chance coll...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda