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.
$367Sale Price|20% Off
Tokyo - Photograph by Amanda Ludovisi - 2019
Located in Roma, IT
Tokyo is a photograph taken by Amanda Ludovisi in 2019. It represents a street in a rainy evening in the center of Tokyo. This is a giclée print on Ca...
Acrylic
$6,250
Barbara Hocker, Woven Water XXII, encaustic, photograph, monotype, 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
#122, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
#124, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
$2,125
The Last Lost Continent, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
By Diego Ascencio
Located in Mexico City, MX
Stretching Landscapes Series: The Last Lost Continent (Nice) Set of 3 works Work 1: Acrylic on canvas Work 2: Photography in cotton paper premium quality 300gr Work 3: Acrylic on can...
Canvas, Acrylic, Photographic Paper
Melting Curves, Blue Tones Monotype Cyanotype on Paper, Unique Abstract Piece
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This unique monotype cyanotype, rendered in rich blue tones, invites the viewer into a dreamlike rhythm of interwoven shapes. Created using the cyanotype process, this one-of-a-kind ...
Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype
#240, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
#80, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
$300Sale Price|20% Off
Looking Glass
By Susie Loucks
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Time lapse photograph
Archival Ink
$1,500
Ralph Gibson, Signed Art Edition No. 101–200 ‘Untitled, Sardegna 1980’ & Book
By Ralph Gibson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Limited Art Edition (No. 101–200), with the gelatin silver print Untitled (Sardegna, 1980), numbered and signed by Ralph Gibson. Edition of 100 Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., in ...
Silver Gelatin
$1,360Sale Price|20% Off
Torquidos
Located in Plano, TX
"Torquidos" is a painting of light 'unseen.' When light travels, the human eye doesn't see its trails, but the camera does. My usual version of light painting involves leaving the li...
Metal
$349Sale Price|20% Off
Framed Impression Abstract Photography on Paper, 21st Century Art
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
The photo was taken by me in an abandoned house. I like the colors and the impression from the picture. Will be signed, framed in a simple black frame, which can be hanged on the wal...
Photographic Paper
Suspended Number 20
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Archival pigment print on Japanese Kozo Paper 2022 15 + 2 AP 6 x 9 in This image is from Susan Isaacson’s series Suspended, a collection of minimalist images that echoes the quiet r...
Archival Paper
$4,128Sale Price|20% Off
Florist, Mandala - Collage of Dead Flowers - Colour Print with Black Background
Located in London, GB
‘Florist’ originally called ‘dead flowers’, was created using the flowers from my girlfriends ‘Zoom’ backgrounds over the space of several months. Usually scanned the moment she considered them to be wilted. About the series: " 'Detritus' series was born from the twin frustrations of lockdown halting all planned projects, yet litter still somehow being dropped in abundance on my street. With no idea of the final output, or indeed the hygiene implications, I started to collect, scan, and record what I found. When I realised these colourful misshapen objects could be turned into something beautiful, the frustrations left me and I began looking for other sources of Detritus. Florist, 2020 Series: Detritus Archival Pigment Print, Mounted on Dibond in custom made Frame; with Black Stained Oak and antireflective UV protective museum standard Art Glass Print 45 x 45 cm / Framed: 50 x 50 cm/ 19.6 x 19.6 inches approx. Edition of 8 + 2AP About the Artist George McLeod...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment
$496Sale Price|64% Off
Grey with small window Photography Fine Art Print Limited Edition
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Fine Art Print, Hahnemuehle fine art paper, limited edition of 25. Signed by the author.
Photographic Paper
Miami Stripes. Black and White Architectural Landscape Photography
By Luca Artioli
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The 'Miami Skin Series' it’s not a traditional collection of photos about the architecture of Miami and Miami Beach. It’s rather a quick journey between its own skin from the Art Dec...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
Downtown Miami. Black and White Architectural landscape Photograph
By Luca Artioli
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The 'Miami Skin Series' it’s not a traditional collection of photos about the architecture of Miami and Miami Beach. It’s rather a quick journey between its own skin from the Art Dec...
Archival Pigment, Black and White
$5,974
Ink 1 - Signed limited edition abstract fine art print, Large format contemporary
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Ink 1 - Large scale photograph by Michael Banks Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + numbered by ar...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pig...
Phantom Structures: Energy of Light and Color #2, Abstract Photograph, 2026
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Phantom Structures: Energy of Light and Color is a fine art photography series born from my attempt to perceive the tree beyond its visible form. I approach it not as a static subjec...
Digital
$2,872
Ink 1 - Signed limited edition abstract art print, Large format contemporary
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Ink 1 - Large scale photograph by Michael Banks Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + numbered by ar...
Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment, Photographic P...
$2,200
It All Moves 03, From the Universe Within series. Abstract color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artists computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's wo...
Archival Pigment
$735Sale Price|20% Off
Reflex Photography: Abstract Landscape, Signed Limited Edition
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Photo NY City, signed, limited to 5. I like the impression which is offering the picture.
Photographic Paper
$2,200
28° 14' 34.127’’N, 114° 6' 44.679’’W-12. 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...
Archival Pigment, Cotton
$2,200
27° 44' 30.192" N 114° 14' 36.340" W-10. 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...
Archival Pigment, Cotton
EM2020-104 (Abstract Photography)
By Bill Kane
Located in London, GB
EM2020-104 (Abstract Photography) Pigment on watercolor paper - Unframed. Edition of 10. The Emanations series is an attempt to express the spiritual potential of the most essential aspect of photography: light. Each work in the series began its evolution as a scanned image of a Buddhist thangka—a spiritual painting of a Buddhist deity—which was then blurred and stretched until all that remained was a distilled image of color and form. These reduced images were then printed onto canvases, resulting in what Kane refers to as elemental “representations of the light bodies of the Buddhas.” Bill Kane...
Paper, Pigment
Suspended Number 1
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jami and Luci Archival pigment print on Japanese Kozo Paper 2022 15 + 2 AP 6 x 9 in This image is from Susan Isaacson’s series Suspended, a collection of minimalist images that echo...
Archival Paper
Untitled 27 NY, From The Series Of Public On Paper. Color Photograph
By Arslan Sükan
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sukan has set out to identify alternative sites of public display and common space within the banal recesses of the everyday world. Collecting and adopting the sketch pads and papers...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Color
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy Photography, Bauhaus Style, Paper, 1990s Edition
By László Moholy-Nagy
Located in Barcelona, ES
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy photography. Stamp: "Nachlass La´zlo´ Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) (= Estate of La´zlo´ Moholy-Nagy" and "einmalige Auflage fu¨r die Griffelkunst 1994") (= single edit...
Photographic Paper
Temporal Perception 119 (Diptych) (Abstract photography)
By Serge Hamad
Located in London, GB
Temporal Perception 119 (Diptych) (Abstract photography) Archival C-Print — Unframed. Edition: 1/12 Available in 2 weeks turnaround. Sold as a diptych. Each element size is: 45 x 30...
C Print
Temporal Perception # Petite Vague (Diptych) (Abstract photography)
By Serge Hamad
Located in London, GB
Temporal Perception # Petite Vague (Diptych) (Abstract photography) Archival C-Print — Unframed. Edition: 1/12 Available in 2 weeks turnaround. Sold as a diptych. Each element size ...
C Print
$600
Manhattan photograph 'New York Walk' 1984 (1980s New York street photography)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
"New York Walk " by Fernando Natalici: Manhattan 1984. The simplicity & grace of the anonymous passer-by rendered timeless by the snap of the camera. A window into a street photogra...
Silver Gelatin
$1,723
Diamond 11 - Signed limited edition abstract print, square photo, contemporary
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Diamond 11 - Limited edition pigment print Limited Editions of 5, unframed Signed + numbered by artist, with certificate of authenticity This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber ...
Archival Paper, Black and White, Giclée, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
$3,216
Enlighten 1 - Signed limited edition abstract pigment print, Large Format black
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Enlighten 1 - Large scale photograph by Michael Banks -Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + number...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Di...
$2,872
Architectonic 3- Signed limited edition print, Large contemporary, Architecture
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Architectonic 3 Large scale photograph by Michael Banks - Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + numbe...
Archival Paper, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment, Black and Wh...
Bling 15 - FRee delivery- Yellow print, Color abstract, Square brown photo
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
'Bling 15' - Limited edition pigment print Limited Editions of 5 Signed + numbered by artist, with certificate of authenticity This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based pape...
Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
$2,700
Untiled #25 abstract sea landscape red and blue color contemporary photography
Located in New York, NY
The series 'Trespassing' explores encounters between human and nature. Human-made objects are placed into a landscape, where their interactions with the natural elements are recorded...
Digital Pigment
$1,376
'Black Hellebore No.5' black and white botanical film photograph, edition of 10
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Black Hellebore No.5 reflects on openness and retreat through two flowers, one facing outward and one bowed. Made by Ugnė Pouwell on large format 4 × 5 film and printed on Hahnemühle...
Paper, Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Charcoal, Photographic Film
Bleed # 202402 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202402 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas — Unframed. Edition: 1/3. Work can be hung with either the WallCleat system (support bar sup...
Plexiglass, C Print
$2,872
Boat 3 - Signed limited edition still life print, Large format contemporary Blue
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Boat 3 Large scale photograph by Michael Banks - Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + numbered by ar...
Archival Paper, Color, Digital, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigme...
Temporal Perception 91A (Triptych) (Abstract photography)
By Serge Hamad
Located in London, GB
Temporal Perception 91A (Triptych) (Abstract photography) Archival C-Print — Unframed. Edition: 1/12 Available in 2 weeks turnaround. Sold as a triptych. Each element size is: 45 x ...
C Print
Architectonic 4 - Signed limited edition pigment print by Michael Banks
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Architectonic 4 Large scale photograph by Michael Banks - Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Edi...
Archival Paper, Black and White, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigm...
$1,723
Bling 11 -Signed limited edition contemporary print , Color Photo, square white
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Bling 11 - Limited edition pigment print - Signed + numbered by artist, with certificate of authenticity Limited Editions of 5 This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based pape...
Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
$2,872
Diamond 4 - Signed limited edition abstract square, Large format contemporary
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Diamond 4 - Photograph by Michael Banks Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + numbered by artist, wi...
Archival Paper, Color, Digital, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigme...
Path #1 multi color abstract floral photo composition
Located in New York, NY
This floral photography has a dramatic sense of composition which recalls the careful arrangements of Dutch and Flemish still life paintings from the 17-18 century. Belgian photog...
Digital Pigment
Hedge Fun - Bal Harbor - Miami Beach, Landscaping in Red and Violet
By Robert Funk
Located in Miami, FL
Hedge Fun is a series that celebrates the landscaping commissioned by well-heeled homeowners, high-end condos and ritzy commercial establishments. Shrubs, bushes and trees are transf...
Inkjet, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$14,500
"Modernismo M48" Abstract Photography 48"x48" in Ed. of 12 by Giuliano Bekor
Located in Culver City, CA
"Modernismo M48" Abstract Photography 48"x48" in Ed. of 12 by Giuliano Bekor Title of artwork: M48 Year: 2012 Printed on a high-quality museum-grade archival photo paper. Not framed...
Archival Pigment
Temporal Perception 142A (Triptych) (Abstract photography)
By Serge Hamad
Located in London, GB
Temporal Perception 142A (Triptych) (Abstract photography) Archival C-Print — Unframed. Edition: 1/12 Available in 2 weeks turnaround. Sold as a triptych. Each element size is: 45 x...
C Print
$2,872
Bling 11 -Signed limited edition art print, Contemporary abstract, Square format
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Bling 11 - Limited edition pigment print . Limited Editions of 5 Signed + numbered by artist, with certificate of authenticity This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based pape...
Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment, Pigment
Breathe # 202102 (Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Edition: 2/3 Work can be hung with either the WallCleat system (support bar supplied) or the screw-eye system if it needs support from wire or above. Available in 4-5 weeks turnaro...
C Print, Plexiglass
Breathe # 202501 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Edition: 1/3 Work can be hung with either the WallCleat system (support bar supplied) or the screw-eye system if it needs support from wire or above. Paul Snell is an Australian ar...
Plexiglass, C Print
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Zenith of the Ocean I, Abstract Expressionist C Print by Rebecca Horn
By Rebecca Horn
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Rebecca Horn, German (1944 - ) Title: Zenith of the Ocean II from Doctor's of the World Portfolio Year: 2007 Medium: Chromegenic (C-Print) of Over-Painted Photograph, signed,...
C Print
Ralph Gibson, Signed Art Edition No. 1–100 ‘Untitled, Elba, 1980' & Book
By Ralph Gibson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Limited Art Edition (No. 1–100), with the gelatin silver print Untitled (Elba, 1980), numbered and signed by Ralph Gibson. Edition of 100. Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., in portf...
Silver Gelatin
$7,500
Twin Towers, St. Nicholas Church, Fine Art Color Photography Print, Signed 3/15
Located in Miami, FL
World Trade Center and St. Nicholas Church destroyed when the south tower collapsed. The work is signed, dated, and numbered 3/15 in the lower right recto corner, with other sizes ...
Archival Pigment, Archival Paper, Archival Ink
Blue on Light Blue with Dancing Angels
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gary Goldberg Blue on Light Blue with Dancing Angels, 2021 Archival pigmented print 19 x 13 in Edition of 10 Gary Goldberg has been photographing the unique qualities of Oaxaca City...
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
Breathe # 202206 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Breathe # 202206 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas - Unframed. Backed with Dibond and C-channel hanging system + keyhole option. Available...
Plexiglass, C Print
Untitled #5 Large Archival Pigment Print, Abstract Geometric, Unframed
Located in London, GB
This artwork explores the delicate interplay between light and shadow, creating a harmonious balance of geometric forms. #Modern eclipse #serenade in #crimson #transcendent #forms #...
Photographic Paper, Color, Photogram, Archival Pigment
Temporal Perception 92 (Diptych) (Abstract photography)
By Serge Hamad
Located in London, GB
Temporal Perception 92 (Diptych) (Abstract photography) Archival C-Print — Unframed. Edition: 1/12 Available in 2 weeks turnaround. Sold as a diptych. Each element size is: 45 x 30"...
C Print
Breathe # 202503 (Abstract photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Edition: 1/3 Work can be hung with either the WallCleat system (support bar supplied) or the screw-eye system if it needs support from wire or above. Available in 4-5 weeks turnaro...
Plexiglass, C Print
Contemporary Black and White Abstract Framed Rayography 1/1 by Adrian 2013
Located in Barcelona, ES
Contemporary photography by Adrian from 2013. Black and white photography, rayograph. Unique piece 1/1. Comes Handsigned. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with a...
Mixed Media