Skip to main content

Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.

Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.

The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.

Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.

Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.

to
2
39
3
23
4
6
4
5
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
112
26
5
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
199
3,965
1
12
21
56
3
2
2
1
1
15
8
8
8
7
Style: Contemporary
Period: 1980s
Head
Located in New York, NY
Mixed media and Painted wood, wall sculpture by Rick Prol.
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Intimate Duo 134 - Mixed Media Assemblage Contemporary Art Wall Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Intimate Duo 134 - Mixed Media Assemblage Contemporary Art Wall Sculpture Intimate Duo 134 is from artist Linda Stein's Brush Assemblage series, where she combines foun...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Blenko Hand Blown Purple Glass Paper Bag Vase
Located in East Quogue, NY
Vintage Blenko pale purple amethyst hand-blown paper bag art glass vase circa 1980s. Size: 8" tall x 4.5" wide x 2.5" deep Great overall vintage condition, wear commensurate with age. Belnko, blenko glass...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Blown Glass

Homage à Kahnweiler
Located in Berlin, DE
Irmgard Biernath (1905 Waldheim in Saxony - 1998 Mainz), Hommage à Kahnweiler, 1984. Terracotta relief, burnished red body, 43.5 x 38 cm, mounted on support plate, in wooden frame 57 x 49.5 cm, monogrammed "IB" at lower right. - Isolated patina losses, but overall good condition, frame slightly bumped. - The Appearance of Genius- This homage to Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler shows the gallerist and art theorist as Pablo Picasso portrayed him in his lithographic portrait of 1957. As an innovative Parisian gallery owner, Kahnweiler had exclusively represented Picasso since 1911, while Picasso had painted his famous portrait of Kahnweiler the previous year as a major work of Cubism. And it is Picasso who appears at the centre of Irmgard Biernath's image. Here, his face echoes the features of the self-portrait he painted in 1907 in the Prague National Gallery. His eyes are wide open as he gazes into the distance, surrounded by the works of his artistic vision that have already taken shape. On the right is the bronze "Man with Sheep...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Vintage 1980s Hand Blown Studio Art Glass Plate by Peter Bramhall
Located in East Quogue, NY
Beautiful yellow glass centerpiece created by Peter Bramhall, signed and dated 8/2/80. The swirl design platter is uniquely shaped and is full...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

David Hostetler Dancer Gold Shiny Flowing Female Woman Figure
Located in Nantucket, MA
Dancing Lady in polished bronze is sealed with Glasurit- it never needs to be polished. She is cast from a wood carving of Dancing Lady- an iconic Hostetler form. The dynamic head li...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Polychrome Bronze Organic Sculpture Polich Tallix Art Foundry Sleeping Beauty
Located in Surfside, FL
Robert Kushner, born in 1949, in California, lives in New York, and is a painter and sculptor. He gained attention in the early seventies as a performance artist, using food, fabric and nudity. Kushner was associated with the Pattern and Decoration movement and used fabric collage in large-scale, bold paintings of the figure. Since 1987 he has used flowers as the subject of his paintings, more recently adding a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables to his repertoire. Kushner's use of rich color harmonies and bold, fluid drawing, mark his belief in the importance of beauty in our lives. Kushner draws from a unique range of influences, including Islamic and European textiles, Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Charles Demuth, Pierre Bonnard, Tawaraya Sotatsu, Ito Jakuchu...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pillow by David Shaner (INV# NP3795)
Located in Morton Grove, IL
David Shaner Pillow (INV# NP3795) stoneware and glaze 5 x 11 x 11" circa 1980 signed *Featured in Ceramics Monthly magazine (2003 and 2009) DAVID SHANER (1934 – 2002) David Shan...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware, Glaze

Hommage à Nadar
Located in New York, NY
Arman Hommage à Nadar, 1986 Bronze with black patina, sliced movie camera 22 x 9 x 12.63 inches AP from edition of 75
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

FALL GARDEN BASKET AND VASE (INV# NP3739) by Betty Woodman
Located in Morton Grove, IL
FALL GARDEN BASKET AND VASE (INV# NP3739) Betty Woodman glazed earthenware 13 x 18.5 x 12” 1987 signed by artist
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Austrian Contemporary Art by Peter Hofmann Gir - 2 1/8 Pult
Located in Paris, IDF
For two people (handles) and two eighth glasses, iron, brass, Resopal, wood, paint, 121 x 41,5 x 30 cm, in series
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Buffalo Dance, bronze, sculpture, by Allan Houser, brown, casting, Pueblo, dancer
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Buffalo Dance, bronze, sculpture, by Allan Houser, brown, casting, Pueblo,dancer limited edition bronze casting of 20 lifetime casting
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

The Big Door 3 - Mixed Media by Leo Guida - 1986
Located in Roma, IT
The Big Door 3 is a Contemporary artwork realized in 1986 by the italian Contemporary artist Leo Guida (1992 - 2017). Hand carved relief in mahogany woo...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

"Voyage I, " Rosamond Berg, Female Contemporary Minimalist Sculpture Artist
Located in New York, NY
Rosamond Berg (American, 1931 - 2018) Voyage I, 1982 Mixed media construction including hand-dyed cotton cloth pouches 24 x 24 inches Signed, titled an...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Cotton, Thread, Glass, Wood

Untitled by Ron Nagle (INV# NP3614)
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Ron Nagle Untitled (INV# NP3614) clay and glaze 5.25 x 4 x 4" 1986 Ron Nagle is one of the most important sculptors in the United States. He work is highly collected and included in museum collections such as Shigaraki Museum, Japan; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Musée de Plastique, Paris; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Stedelijk Museum in the Netherlands. He was born in San Francisco and began working with ceramics during the 1950s as a high school student. In 1961 he apprenticed to Peter Voulkos at the University of California, Berkeley, and later exhibited his work alongside Voulkos, Ken Price, and other innovative West Coast artists working in clay. His work is inspired by such artists as Giorgio Morandi, Phillip Guston, and George Herriman...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Clay, Glaze

Scandinavian Abstract Wool Tapestry Rug Gun Gordillo Neon Electric Blue Color
Located in Surfside, FL
Gun Gordillo (Swedish, 1945-) Ege Axminster, Denmark. Danish Tapestry Rug Art-Line 55" X 79" "Blue Hour" Tapis rectangulaire en laine tuftée, fond bleu marine sur lequel se détache un néon bleu turquoise. Etiquette de l'éditeur Ege Axminster (Danemark) titrée au revers. vintage 1980's. This had a velcro strip to be used as a wall hanging. It can also be laid on the floor. This is a tufted pile wool tapestry not a flat weave like an Aubusson. Perfect for a Memphis Milano 80's interior. Gun Gordillo was born in Lund, Sweden. Contemporary Scandinavian Artist. Her fluency with the material, which comes so natural to Gun Gordillo, makes her works unusually suited to function in many different context in a public milieu. Dolerite, lead, copper, and zinc plate in combination with contemporary fragile art materials such as glass, plexiglass and, above all, neon light makes her works stand out among those which have been created with light as the basic architecture of their artistic expression. There is a decidedly personal angle to her way of dealing with neon light which gives it a poetic dimension in marked contrast to the harsh stridency of advertising signs. Gordillo's work has been shown at several major solo exhibitions, most recently in 2015 at the famous French galerie denise rené, Paris. She has worked with the legendary gallerist Denise Rene for more then 30 years. She has also participated many group exhibitions including "The spirit of white" at Galerie Beyeler, Basel in 2004 and most recently "Néon, who's afraid of red, yellow and blue?" at la Maison Rouge, Paris in 2012. She has also been invited to create several major installations at world famous companies and public sites in cities like Basel, Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Gordillo today lives and work in Copenhagen, Denmark after spending many years living and working in Paris, France. Her work straddles the lines of design and sculpture with her Neon and Fluorescent Light installations reminiscent of the California Light & Space artists such as Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, Bruce Nauman, James Turrell as well as Dan Flavin. Tapisserie d' Artiste. select group exhibitions 2021 galerie denise rené, paris, "Retour à la ligne" Artists included: Carlos Cruz-Diez, Geneviève Claisse, Gun Gordillo, Jesus-Rafael Soto, Julio Le Parc & others. galerie denise rené, Espace Marais Paris, "Esprit des couleurs" Artists included: Aurélie Nemours, Carlos Medina, Christian Megert, Darío Pérez-Flores, Francis Celentano, Gun Gordillo, Hans Kooi, Hugo Demarco, Tony Bechara galerie denise rené, paris, "Small is beautiful" Artists included: Gun Gordillo, Heinz Mack, Henryk Stazewski, Jesus-Rafael Soto, Josef Albers, Sonia Delaunay, Victor Vasarely, Yaacov Agam. galerie denise rené, paris, "Let there be light" Artists included: Angel Duarte...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wool

Abstract Geometric, small abstract bronze, dark brown patina, life cast, marble
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Abstract Geometric, small abstract bronze, dark brown patina, life cast, marble limited edition Allan Houser (Haozous), Chiricahua Apache (1914-1994) Selec...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Untitled Carved Wood Sculpture - Driftwood
By Mario Dal Fabbro
Located in Miami, FL
Mario Dal Fabbro's "Untitled Carved Wood Sculpture" is somewhat reminiscent of driftwood with natural cracks that have been carved by the ebb and...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Hesot Kachin Mana, by Dan Namingha, bronze, kachina, Hopi, brown, sculpture
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hesot Kachin Mana, by Dan Namingha, bronze, kachina, Hop,i brown, sculpture #1/18 bronze edition signed and numbered by the artist We present paintings, prints, and sculptures by Sou...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Wing Series 11, #1" Textured Abstract Wall Sculpture
Located in Houston, TX
Textured contemporary orange and green wall sculpture. The work is textured using masonite and sawdust. The work is titled, dated and signed by the artist on the back of the work. Michael Richardson...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Masonite, Acrylic

Bruce Houston "Untitled (Homage to Frank Stella)", mixed media sculpture
By Bruce Houston
Located in Glenview, IL
"Untitled (Homage to Frank Stella)" by contemporary American artist Bruce Houston is a mixed media sculpture created with wood, paint and toy parts in 1989.
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

UNTITLED (SCULPTURE)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original stainless steel sculpture. Incised "Leon Ferrari 1981" on a metal plaque affixed to the lower area of the sculpture. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Please do not...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stainless Steel

'Were We Ever Really Children?' original assemblage by Joel Jaecks
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Were We Ever Really Children?' is a rare early example of the small-scale assemblages that American artist Joel Jaeks began producing in the 1980s. As with all of his assemblages, t...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

House of the Poet, one-of-a-kind steel sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Sculpture is a beautiful gray, with delicate texturing and the opening at the top of the stairs casts a striking reverse shadow. This plated steel pedestal sculpture is from Bella Fe...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

'Scratch The Earth, Let The Telephone Ring' original assemblage by Joel Jaecks
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Scratch The Earth, Let The Telephone Ring' is a rare early example of the small-scale assemblages that American artist Joel Jaeks began producing in the 1980s. As with all of his assemblages, the artwork is constructed inside an envelope-sized paper board box – then filled with what can only be called memories, ideas and fading dreams. 'Scratch The Earth, Let The Telephone Ring' is covered on the exterior and interior by splatters of blue and red paint, applied with the same vigor as the Abstract Expressionist canvases of Jackson Pollock. On the back, four squares cut from a screenprint of a winter landscape form a window to the themes on the inside: pasted on the back, a Victorian postcard...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

'When Every Little Bit of Hope Is Gone' original assemblage by Joel Jaecks
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'When Every Little Bit Of Hope Is Gone' is a rare early example of the small-scale assemblages that American artist Joel Jaeks began producing in the 1980s. As with all of his assemb...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

Two Embracing Figures
Located in Houston, TX
Light brown colored sculpture of two abstract figures embarrassing each other in an intimate manner. Marble has veins of darker brown tones with hints of cool grey colors. Artist s...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Marble

'And Ten Out of Ten' original assemblage by Joel Jaecks
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'And Ten Out of Ten' is a rare early example of the small-scale assemblages that American artist Joel Jaeks began producing in the 1980s. As with all of his assemblages, the artwork ...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

Distorted Figurative Figure
Located in Houston, TX
Cool grey figurative sculpture of a female figure. Sculpture has concave areas where the limbs would extend from the body. The sculpture sits on a base that appears to be a leg. Jose...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Seated Woman Stone Sculpture
Located in Houston, TX
Sculpture of a seated women with her hands on her knees. Sculpture has various natural colors that branch through the stone. Artist signed the sculpture on the back right thigh. Luiz...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone

"Pierced Slab Top Jar, " Terra Sigillata by Christine LePage
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Pierced Slab Top Jar" is a ceramic sculpture made with Terra Sigillata by Christine LePage. It is pierced in the neck of the jar and was made in black...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Drummer, 3 foot abstract steel sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Carole Eisner's indoor sculptures, averaging two to four feet tall, are made from a welded collage of drops and cut-out steel pieces from the same series of scrap she found in a Conn...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Kinetic Sculpture
By Bruce Stillman
Located in Long Island City, NY
A steel sculpture by Bruce Stillman from 1980. A kinetic sculpture with rotating components perched atop a whimsically modernist base. Artist: Bruc...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Large Closed Form by Toshiko Takaezu (INV# NP5031)
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Toshiko Takaezu Large Closed Form (INV# NP5031) 10.75 x 8.5 x 8.5" 1980 signed by artist Toshiko Takaezu (June 17, 1922 – March 9, 2011) was an American ceramic artist and painter. ...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware, Glaze

"California Color Series #8", Blown Glass Sculpture, Sandblasted, Acid Etched
Located in St. Louis, MO
Marvin Lipofsky 1938 - 2016 Lipofsky approached glass as an organic, sculptural medium; resulting in his signature amorphic forms. Many of his works are colorful “bubbles” of glass....
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

The Duck (N.6., No. 3)
By Garth Evans
Located in Austin, TX
Artist: Garth Evans (British, b. 1934) Title: "The Duck (N.6., No. 3)" Year: 1982 Medium: Painted plywood wall-hanging sculpture Signed and titled Dimensions: 24" x 12" x 7" Conditio...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Plywood, Acrylic

"Pilchuck Summer Series #8", Abstract Blown Glass Sculpture, Sandblasted Surface
Located in St. Louis, MO
Lipofsky approached glass as an organic, sculptural medium; resulting in his signature amorphic forms. Many of his works are colorful “bubbles” of glass. Often semi-transluscent, the...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Blown Glass

Polkadot Wall Slab
Located in Morton Grove, IL
stoneware, underglaze, and glaze
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware, Glaze, Underglaze

Site for a Bowl I by Paula Winokur
By Paula Winokur
Located in Morton Grove, IL
porcelain, glaze
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain, Glaze

Mythological Figure (Bone Figure)
Located in New York, NY
Edition 1/8 Medium: Patinated bronze Jim Ritchie (1929-2017) born in Montreal, Canada, is known for his pastel drawings and bronze sculptures. He is stylistically linked with Cubism...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Standing and Reclining Figure
Located in New York, NY
Edition 1/8 Medium: Bronze cast of found, assembled bones. Mounted on marble. Jim Ritchie (1929-2017) born in Montreal, Canada, is known for his pastel drawings and bronze sculpture...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Portrait
Located in New York, NY
A unique brass abstract sculpture mounted on a bronze base. Jim Ritchie (1929-2017) born in Montreal, Canada, is known for his pastel drawings and bronze sculptures. He is stylistically linked with Cubism, Abstract figurative work, and modernism, and the human figure is the subject of much of his work. Ritchie had several exhibitions in Montreal before moving to the small town of Vence in Provence, where he lived and worked for over thirty years. The Adelson Galleries...
Category

1980s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Contemporary abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary abstract sculptures 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 abstract sculptures 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 Tony Moore, Roxana Azar, Sara Fine-Wilson, and Arozarena De La Fuente. Frequently made by artists working with Metal, and Ceramic and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary abstract sculptures, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.

Recently Viewed

View All