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.
30x30in. Aerial Photography of Earth, Land, Sea - F 011
By MAE Curates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a new series of photography of land art depicting Earth and its land forms taken from the air. This series of aerial photography captures Earth's beauty taken in remote lands...
C Print
#266, 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
Abstract Dancers White 2 - Limited Edition, Archival Pigment Print
By Giles Revell
Located in Brighton, GB
Abstract Dancers White 2 by Giles Revell is a Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print in this size of 50cm x 50cm in a limited edition of 15 ...
Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment
Red MiG, Mikoyan Gourevitch MiG-17-PF, Chino, USA
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
Huang Shan C - Yellow Mountains (landscape black and white art) unframed print
By Peter Leung
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Like a poetic storyteller, Modern Art Etc promotes American photographer Peter Leung’s fine art photography captures the natural beauty and landscape in China. With immaculate composition that comes from planning and patience, waiting for the best natural light and objects to fall into place, the resulting images evokes the spirit of the place and its people. Pictorialism and art conjoin to produce something acutely poetic. One wonders when looking at his pictures – is this a photograph or a painting? ABOUT THIS WORK “Huangshan C”, China The famous Huangshan, (literal translation "Yellow Mountains"), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The materials comprise of ancient rocks...
Photographic Paper, C Print
#206, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Rustika - analog abstract photograph, limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Rustika is an abstract analogue photographic work rooted in the close study of natural textures and organic line. Created with a film camera and developed through the negative proces...
Photographic Film, Giclée
#106 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$2,055Sale Price|20% Off
What Do You Want from Me - Abstract Expressionist Art Photography
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
Winter Swells
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edition 2/15 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 much of her l...
Archival Pigment
Koi carp and Blossom - Abstract Print on Glass with Gold leaf and Copper
Located in London, GB
"The bottomless depths of a private koi pond in a Sussex garden. Dancing light, rhythmic flow and a scattering of flowers on the surface, all help to convey the dark mystery of a life below the surface." - Valda Bailey...
Copper, Gold Leaf
$6,578
Flux 01 -Signed limited edition abstract pigment print, Contemporary Large Format
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Flux 1 - Large scale photograph by Michael Banks Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions ...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Di...
$3,348
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...
#138, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
ID No. 17, 1, 3, 4, 7, 13, 15, 12 and 8. Limited edition photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In this early photographic series, Dubravka Lazić turns her lens toward a subject rarely treated with such a quiet dignity: domestic cats. Shot in 2005, these portraits mimic the for...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
#136, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$2,990
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...
Iris Eye #25, 2022, digitally made abstract print, edition of 3, signed
By Gary Cruz
Located in New York, NY
In Iris Eye #25, concentric rings anchor the composition, pulling the gaze inward toward a dense, radiant core. The symmetry is stable yet alive, as if vibrating with hidden movement...
Archival Pigment
$2,990
Ink 3- Signed limited edition abstract art print, Large format contemporary
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Ink 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 a...
Archival Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment, Photo...
Ink 2- Free delivery- Abstract art print, Large format contemporary, Blue
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Ink 2 - 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, Pigment, Photo...
Lights in Motion Photograph Chromo Photo Kodak Professional Endura
Located in Surfside, FL
Artist Unknown. From Muse X Editions. An (now defunct) LA based innovative publisher of limited-edition prints, Muse X has launched its first group of prints and is just beginning to make itself known to artists, curators, dealers and collectors. Among works just off the press are otherworldly landscapes by Barbara Kasten and Oliver Wasow, a sizzling sunset by Peter Alexander, abstract compositions by Pauline Stella Sanchez and Jennifer Steinkamp...
Photographic Paper, C Print
#250, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$14,600
Song for Dead Heroes #5 bright floral abstract photo landscape composition
Located in New York, NY
This abstract floral landscape photography has a dramatic sense of composition which recalls the careful arrangements of Dutch and Flemish still life paintings from the 17-18 century...
Digital Pigment
Man Watching Sunrise, Hangzhou, China, 2011
Located in New York City, NY
David Burdeny Man Watching Sunrise, Hangzhou, China, 2011 44 x 44 inches - Edition of 10 Archival Pigment Print Signature Label Print only. Ask us for fram...
Archival Pigment
Chrysler Building Art Deco Skyscraper
Located in Miami, FL
Architecture becomes an abstract design statement as seen through the lens of Mithcell Funk Striking graphic design with found elements is a signature style of Mitchell Funk. He brin...
Photographic Paper, Archival Paper
$22,500
"JM Basquiat-GB4" Photography (FRAMED) 50" x 40" inch Ed. 1/8 by Giuliano Bekor
Located in Culver City, CA
"JM Basquiat-GB4" Photography (FRAMED) 50" x 40" inch Ed. 1/8 by Giuliano Bekor Signed and numbered by the artist. Comes with COA issues by the artist. Title: Basquiat series - JMB...
Metal
Blanket12, Version1, Abstract Photograph, 2015
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
#268, 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
#206, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#264, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Venice Beach
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edition 2/15 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 much of her l...
Archival Pigment
$1,250
Combo
Located in Vancouver, CA
Julie Beugin: Urban Abstraction and Contemplative Landscapes Julie Beugin's art vividly captures the essence of urban landscapes, focusing on the subtle details and quiet corners oft...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper
Bleed # 202482 (Abstract Photography)
By Paul Snell
Located in London, GB
Bleed # 202481 (Abstract Photography) Chromogenic Print Face-mounted 3mm Matte Plexiglas — Unframed. Work can be hung with either the WallCleat system (support bar supplied) or the ...
Plexiglass, C Print
Gaia 90 - Black and White Diptych View of Clouds and Skyscape above Valley
Located in Brighton, GB
Gaia 90 - Black and White Diptych View of Clouds and Skyscape above Valley by Jaume Llorens Bach Gaia 90 is a 18cm x 24cm Black and White Photographic print on Premio Kozo 180gsm Wh...
Black and White, Digital, Photographic Paper
$1,240Sale Price|20% Off
Lightbox
Located in Vancouver, CA
Julie Beugin: Urban Abstraction and Contemplative Landscapes Julie Beugin's art vividly captures the essence of urban landscapes, focusing on the subtle details and quiet corners oft...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper
#20, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#217, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#89, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Serenity. Cyanotype
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The photos from the series Let Me Tell You a Story show, each one individually, certain themes through strongly narrative visual units. Each photograph is dedicated to a specific rep...
Archival Paper
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
"Empire in Green" New York, Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Empire in Green / From the series of Lights of New York / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2021 Dimension: 48 x 32" External Dimension( with white border) Height: 48....
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Untitled DYSMORPHOLOGIES SERIES (hair magnification in grid) Mounted to Aluminum
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Contemporary Subject: People Medium: Digital, Print Surface: Metal Country: United States This extra large montage of photographs is mounted onto aluminum from Ken Gonzales-Day's dysmorphologies series. Ken Gonzales-Day's interdisciplinary and conceptually grounded projects consider the history of photography, the construction of race, and the limits of representational systems ranging from the lynching photograph to museum display. The Searching for California Hang Trees series offered a critical look at the legacies of landscape photography in the West while his most recent project considers the sculptural depiction of race. Profiled began as an exploration of the influence of eighteenth century "scientific" thought on twenty-first century institutions ranging from the museum to the prison and extended to the sculpture and portrait bust collections of several major museums including: The J. Paul Getty Museum; The Field Museum, Chicago; The Museum of Man, San Diego; L'École des beaux-arts,Paris. The Bode Museum, Berlin, Park Sanssouci, Potsdam; The National Museum of Natural History, Paris; The Yale Center for British Art, New Haven; among others. Gonzales-Day lives in Los Angeles and is Chair of the Art Department at Scripps College. Fellowships and Grants Chercheur Accueilli, Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art (INHA); COLA Individual Artist Award; Art Mattes Grant; Mid-Career Award, California Communtiy Foundation; Durfee Fondation ACG; Graves Award for the Humanities; Visiting Scholar/Artist-in-Residence, Getty Research Institute; Senior Fellow, American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution; Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation Study and Conference Center, Bellagio, Italy; Van Lier Fellow, ISP, Whitney Museum of American Art; Rotary International. Select Solo Exhibitions Luis De Jesus Los Angeles; Galerie Steph, Singapore; The Vincent Price Museum, LA; Fred Torres Collaborations, NYC; Tufts University, Medford, MA; Las Cienegas Projects, L.A.; UCSD Art Gallery, La Jolla, CA; Steve Turner Contemporary, L.A.; LAXART, L.A.; CUE Art Foundation, NY, NY; Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA; Susanne Vielmetter Projects, L. A.; Cristinerose Gallery, NY, NY; White Columns, NY, NY, among others. Select Group Exhibitions Our America: The Latino presence in American Art, Smithsonian Institution; MDE11, Medellin, Colombia; COLA 2011, at LAMAG, Los Angeles; Spy Numbers, Palais de Tokyo, Paris;How Many Billboards, MAK Center, W.H.; State of Mind, MoPA, San Diego; Phantom Sightings, LACMA, L.A.(traveled); Encuentro Hemispherico, Bogota; Under Erasure, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Dublin; Under Pain of Death, Austrian Cultural Forum, NYC;ArtMediaPolitique, DIX291, Paris; Viva Mexico, Zacheta National Gallery, Warsaw (traveled); Past Over, Steve Turner Contemporary, L.A.; Crimes of Omission, ICA Philadelphia; Exile of the Imaginary, Generali Foundation, Vienna; Civil Restitutions, Thomas Dane Gallery...
Digital
#43, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Red Guard, Seversky at 12 Guardsman, Chino, USA
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
Montauk Reflections #23 Ltd Ed of 10
By Kat O'Neill
Located in New York, NY
Archival Ink. Commercial fishing boats reflection. Can be hung horizontally as well. Produced by Dye Sublimation - which means archival in...
Metal
Friends, 2025. Cyanotype photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The photos from the series Let Me Tell You a Story show, each one individually, certain themes through strongly narrative visual units. Each photograph is dedicated to a specific rep...
Archival Paper
$24,960
"TIME TA25" (FRAMED) Photography 72" x 48" inch Edition 2/4 by Giuliano Bekor
Located in Culver City, CA
"TIME TA25" (FRAMED) Photography 72" x 48" inch Edition 2/4 by Giuliano Bekor Original fine art photography by Giuliano Bekor Signed and numbered by the artist Title: Time TA25 Year: 2018 Print size: 72" x 48" Inches Artwork finished size: 73" x 49" Inches Limited edition 2 of 4 Artist proof: 2 Medium: The artwork is printed on the highest resolution museum-quality polished aluminum with a high-gloss finish. Infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets The waterproof scratch-resistant surface hygienic and durable medium. Comes in a custom gallery-style floater frame in a semi-gloss silver-face finish. Comes with a heavy-duty wooden liner float mount hanger. This artwork comes with two customizable time zone clocks...
Metal
Brassaï Black and White Framed Heliogravure Photography, circa 1949
By Brassaï
Located in Barcelona, ES
Presented in a natural wood frame and finished with a wide light mount, this black and white heliogravure by Brassaï has a calm, balanced presence that works beautifully in both mode...
Paper
$700
"Coca-Cola Sign, Atlanta, Georgia X 36" - Composite Image Photography - Cubism
By Peter Essick
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Coca-Cola Sign, Atlanta, Georgia X 36" is composite image photograph with hues of red and blue. Peter Essick is a photographer, author, speaker, instructor, and drone pilot who spe...
Archival Pigment
#95, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#45, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#50, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#269, 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
#264, 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
Blanket 11, Mixed Media Digital Print, 2016
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...
Photographic Paper
Gaia 59 - Clouds Sky Birds Murmuration Black and White Landscape Photograph
Located in Brighton, GB
Gaia 59 - Clouds and Sky Murmuration Black and White Photographic Print by Jaume Llorens Bach Gaia 59 is a 18cm x 24cm Black-and-White print on Premio Kozo 180gsm White Paper by Awa...
Photographic Paper, Black and White, Digital
Florist
Located in London, GB
Intricate floral designs radiate from a central point, creating a cosmic mandala of blooms... A captivating composition of flowers spiraling like a galaxy against a dark backdrop... ...
Archival Pigment, Color, Photographic Paper, Archival Paper
Ancient Woodland Collage, Archival Pigment Print
Located in London, GB
This artwork captures a kaleidoscopic arrangement of flowers, symbolising growth and renewal. All the elements used were collected from a small woodland in North Norfolk, England. ...
Archival Pigment, Color, Photographic Paper, Archival Paper
Interior Black and White Photography
By Pat Truax
Located in Houston, TX
Black and white interior photograph developed using the Sabattier process. The photograph is not framed. Artist Biography: Pat Truax is a Texas based fine art photograph best known ...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
"Waterfall Galleria" Black and White Figurative Photography
By Pat Truax
Located in Houston, TX
Photograph of the iconic waterfall in the Houston Galleria area. This photograph showcases the Sabbttier process or the results of solarization. The photograph is not framed. Artist...
Photographic Film
Seastar, Lockheed T-33 Silverstar, Chino, USA, 2015 - Aero series (Air)
Located in New York City, NY
Manolo Chretien, France Seastar, Lockheed T-33 Silverstar, Chino, USA, 2015 27 x 43 in Edition of 9 Dye Sublimation on Aluminum 35 x 57 in Edition of...
Dye Transfer