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.
BIRTHING PORTAL VARIATION
Located in Badung, ID
This work embodies Aleph Geddis’s lifelong dialogue with form, material, and the quiet intelligence of structure. Rooted in traditional carving techniques and informed by modernist a...
Wood
$65,000
"Sisyphean Circle (homage to Major Taylor)", Industrial, Abstract Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
"Sisyphean Circle (homage to Major Taylor)" by John Van Alstine Slate, pigmented and sealed steel "Major Taylor's legacy lies in his willingness to chall...
Stone, Granite, Metal, Steel
Black and White Cup Coral Centerpiece on Coquina Stone
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Impressive cup coral assemblage with its striking black and white colors and sea inspired texture, designed and crafted by F. S. Henemader. Presented on a coquina stone base to enhan...
Organic Material
Metamorphosis abstract nude 1960s sculpture by John Robert Murray McCheyne
Located in London, GB
To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you ...
Wood
Into Blue, Gudrun Pagter, Abstract geometric tapestry
Located in Wilton, CT
Pagter’s minimalism is emblematic of the shared sensibilities of Scandinavian and Japanese artists, popularly termed 'Japandi'. Into Blue is one in a three part series. “In the refi...
Textile, Linen, Thread
Grand Chef (Abstract Sculpture)
Located in London, GB
Aluminum sheet, metal wire and acrylic - mobile "Limited edition of 3 1/3 Available on request- 3 week turnaround" Amaury Maillet is a self-taught art...
Metal
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Urban Cactus
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic washes on Pine, walnut, acrylic & varnish Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fair in NYC...
Birch, Lacquer, Walnut, Varnish, Acrylic, Pins
$14,000
"Magic Circle Deep Cell Variation", Hand & Laser Cut Paper Wall Relief Sculpture
By Rogan Brown
Located in New York, NY
"Magic Circle Deep Cell Variation" by Rogan Brown Laser and hand cut paper, framed in plexiglass shadowbox Available by commission. Please allow 8-12 weeks production time. Rogan B...
Paper
$11,000
"Equinox", Richard Heinrich, Abstract Contemporary Steel Sculpture, Metal
Located in New York, NY
"Equinox" by Richard Heinrich, 2011 Steel Contemporary Abstract Sculpture, Industrial, Modern, Indoor, Outdoor
Steel
$2,000
Untitled
Located in Vancouver, CA
Ben McLeod (b. 1948, Aberdeen, Scotland) is a preeminent Canadian sculptor whose over five-decade practice is characterized by a profoundly self-propelled trajectory and the cultivat...
Steel
$3,850
"Experience №1 v.2" Bronze Sculpture 18 x 6 x 6 in Edition 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis
Located in Culver City, CA
"Experience №1 v.2" Bronze Sculpture 18 x 6 x 6 in Edition 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis 2019 From the EXPERIENCE series Bronze Approximate weight 15lbs ABOUT ARTIST Born on 27 May 1985 ...
Bronze
Modern Abstract Expressionist Metal Etching
By Dick Wray
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract expressionist style etching is done on a metal sheet. The sheet is attached to a wood backing for easy hanging. The work is not framed. Artist Biography: Dick Wray,...
Metal
$80,000Sale Price|20% Off
CRUCIFIX MEXICAN HEADDRESS - Abstract Bronze Fine Statue Sculpture 1993
Located in Chico, CA
Full bronze sculpture. Private collection piece. ARTIST STATEMENT My work passionately reflects my Mexican cultural roots. The art forms appear and are created as stories in the r...
Bronze
$69,600
Abstract Kinetic Sculpture Statement Minimalism Balance White Bauman Signed
By Arthur Bauman
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Untitled (Sun Over the Rain Clouds)" is an abstract kinetic sculpture with many moving parts created by Arthur Bauman. The artist carved his initials into the red disc that hangs at...
Metal
$1,800
wall sculpture, abstract sculpture, metal and wood, wall relief, "City Lights 8"
Located in Milwaukee, WI
wall sculpture, metal sculpture, geometric, indoor sculpture; "City Lights 8" is from a series of wall sculptures inspired by urban existence. The life of the city, day or night, is ...
Metal
La Comète (Abstract Sculpture)
Located in London, GB
Aluminum sheet, metal wire and acrylic - mobile Amaury Maillet is a self-taught artist who explored art in Provence and Saint Martin in his childhood. ...
Metal
F. Soriano Women "ALEGORIA" 2007 iron and sheet original sculpture
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Ferran Soriano - Sculptor (Barcelona, 1944) Ferran Soriano has been exhibiting his works of art since 1970 around the world (in Spain, Europe and the USA). He has got works of art in...
Metal, Iron
White Mastodonte Under Red Moon (Abstract Sculpture)
Located in London, GB
Aluminum sheet, metal wire and acrylic - mobile "Limited edition of 8 1/8 Available on request — 3 week turnaround " Amaury Maillet is a self-taught ...
Metal
L'eclipse (Abstract Sculpture)
Located in London, GB
Aluminum sheet, metal wire and acrylic - mobile "Limited edition of 3 1/3" Amaury Maillet is a self-taught artist who explored art in Provence and Sai...
Metal
Abstract Form
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Form is a mid-century modern sculpture by Dutch artist Leo De Beer, exemplifying his commitment to uncovering form from within. Rendered in a styl...
Marble
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Iris Crystals Wall Sculpture, blue Abstract Geometric, Wood, Signed back
By Chloe Hedden
Located in Quebec, Quebec
“Iris Crystals” is a rich blue colored wall sculpture made out of solid koa wood and then painted and sealed with a UV matte sealer. The geometric facets are hand carved and add intr...
Wood, Spray Paint, Vinyl
$3,750
Woven Plane - Abstract Geometric Form, Hand Painted Welded Steel Wall Sculpture
By Chris Hill
Located in Chicago, IL
This dynamic wall sculpture is created from sheets of steel, welded together in an abstract geometric pattern. Muted shades of blue, grey, purp...
Steel
"Coral Orchid", Organic Hand Cut, Laser Cut, Paper Wall Sculpture
By Rogan Brown
Located in New York, NY
"Coral Orchid" by Rogan Brown Laser and hand cut paper, framed in a plexiglass shadow box Available by commission. Please allow 8-12 weeks production time. Rogan Brown creates abstr...
Paper
Golden Apples 61
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, two pieces (sphere and stand). My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused ...
Ceramic
Golden Apples 60
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, two pieces (sphere and stand). My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused ...
Ceramic
Golden Apples 59
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, two pieces (sphere and stand). My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused ...
Ceramic
Golden Apples 58
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, two pieces (sphere and stand). My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused ...
Ceramic
Golden Apples 57
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, two pieces (sphere and stand). My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused ...
Ceramic
Golden Apples 56
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, two pieces (sphere and stand). My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused ...
Ceramic
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - King
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made with Suede Venetian paint, latex, birch, MDF & wax Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other A...
Wood, Paint, Latex, Birch, Wax
Balance
By Greg Joubert
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand carved aspen wood sculpture torched burnished and painted Greg Joubert was born in 1977 and raised in the seaside New England town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Joubert gained hi...
Wood, Acrylic
Transition
By Greg Joubert
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand carved aspen wood sculpture torched burnished and painted Greg Joubert was born in 1977 and raised in the seaside New England town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Joubert gained hi...
Wood, Acrylic
Perception
By Greg Joubert
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand carved aspen wood sculpture torched burnished and painted Greg Joubert was born in 1977 and raised in the seaside New England town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Joubert gained hi...
Wood, Acrylic
$1,250
Shift
By Greg Joubert
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand carved aspen wood sculpture torched burnished and painted Greg Joubert was born in 1977 and raised in the seaside New England town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Joubert gained hi...
Wood, Acrylic
Glass Sculpture Flower bud
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Hand-crafted Colorful Glass Artwork. This unique glass artwork, titled "Flower Bud," is a hand-crafted piece made using the fusion glass process. The design resembles a blooming fl...
Steel
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Etheral
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made with enamel washes on Birch with satin lacquer Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art F...
Enamel
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Skylark
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made by acrylic on birch, satin lacquer finish Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fair i...
Acrylic, Birch, Lacquer
HARD SOFT TRUNCATED DODECA TOTEM
Located in Badung, ID
This work embodies Aleph Geddis’s lifelong dialogue with form, material, and the quiet intelligence of structure. Rooted in traditional carving techniques and informed by modernist a...
Wood
Loren Eiferman, Satellite, 2010, 125 pieces of wood, copper, patina
Located in Darien, CT
Over many decades Loren Eiferman has created and mastered a unique technique of working with wood—her primary material. First, she begins with a drawing of an idea. Then she take...
Copper
Untitled Kinetic Sculpture, Original Oil on Metal, Signed, 3.8x5 in
By Yaacov Agam
Located in Aventura, FL
Original oil painting on metal double sided spinning polymorph kinetic sculpture. Artwork size: 3.8 x 5 x 1 inches. Hand signed and dated on the underside by Yaacov Agam. Certif...
Paper, Gouache
$3,000
EOS
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Criswell's standing sculpture emerged from a study of spatial organization by arranging basic, repetitive shapes into a harmonious balance, while exploring the concept of simultaneou...
Wood, Paint, Mixed Media
$24,000Sale Price|20% Off
GEMINI - Abstract Slip Cast Ceramic Fine Art Sculpture Artist Signed 1994
Located in Chico, CA
Slip cast form. Fired to cone 01. Glaze fired to cone 07. Finished with acrylics and oils Dimensions: 13"h x 10"w x 7"d Year: 1994 Reflecting on her Mexican roots, Nora Pineda...
Ceramic, Clay
Free Flow - Abstract Geometric Form, Hand Painted Welded Steel Sculpture
By Chris Hill
Located in Chicago, IL
This dynamic table sized sculpture is created from sheets of steel and rods, welded together in an abstract geometric pattern. While the work adheres to a rigid, rational geometry, this sculptures suggest lyrical movement, apparent weightlessness and improvisation as the title suggests. Chris Hill Free Flow welded steel, acrylic paint 21.5h x 11w x 5d in 43.18h x 20.32w x 12.70d cm CHI020 Chris Hill is a Santa Fe based sculptor. Chris was born in Port Arthur, Texas but grew up in small town North Mississippi. He began welding at age 18 at the Tennessee Valley Authority...
Steel
"Eidolon", Minimalist Abstract Metal Sculpture in Reflective Nickel-Plated Steel
Located in New York, NY
"Eidolon" Minimalist Abstract Metal Sculpture by Michael Enn Sirvet Nickel-plated steel About Michael Enn Sirvet's Eidolon Series This is a ghostly blade in reflective steel. Its o...
Metal, Steel
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Mint
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Mint 24" x 36” x 1”-2020. Mixed Media – Wood, paint, lacquer on MDF Mint is an elegant modern and minimalist contemporary wall sculpture. It is constructed with birch panels and acr...
Enamel
Karen Schiff, Space Eyes, 2016, Wood, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor
By Karen Schiff
Located in Darien, CT
Karen Schiff is an artist and wordsmith based in New York; she has always been a reader as well as a visual artist. Her drawings, paintings, installations, and performances combine t...
Wood, Acrylic, Watercolor
Reg Butler Bronze Sculpture Musee Imaginaire Abstract Brutalist Female Figure
By Reg Butler
Located in Surfside, FL
Reg Cotterell Butler (1913 - 1981) Bronze Musée Imaginaire Conceived 1961-62, cast 1963 Stamp signed and impressed with monogram Initials © RB Numbered 9/9, Cast by Valsuani Fou...
Bronze
"Halo", Gestural, Ceramic, Yellow, Cream, Sepia, Grey, Pink, Sculpture
Located in Franklin, MA
Sara Fine-Wilsons ”Halo” is a gestural 15 x 12 x 9 inch ceramic sculpture in pale yellow and cream with accents of warm sepia, grey and quiet tinges of pink. In this graceful and evo...
Ceramic, Clay
$39,000
"Pear Portal" Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Large-Scale, Outdoors
Located in New York, NY
"Pear Portal" by Hans van de Bovenkamp Unique welded bronze Renowned for his monumental sculpture created primarily for open-air public locales, Hans Van de Bovenkamp has been descr...
Metal, Bronze
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Tall Metallic Palladium Abstract Expressionist Brutalist Totem Sculpture
By Judy Engel
Located in Hudson, NY
Hand built heavily glazed solid ceramic structure by NY artist Judy Engel. Expressionist style hand built and heavily glazed in a high metallic palladium glaze. Judy's first introduction to this style was the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. "In the 1970s, upstate school kids...
Ceramic, Glaze
Mini Totem 1
Located in New York, NY
Nayla Kai Saroufim is a Lebanese artist based in Los Angeles and Beirut. She earned a degree in Illustration and Art Direction from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts. She had wor...
Resin, Acrylic
Eduardo Chavez Mid-Century Abstract Biomorphic Cherry Wood Sculpture, 1950s
Located in Denver, CO
This mid-20th-century abstract biomorphic sculpture by American artist Eduardo Chavez (1917–1995) is a striking example of organic modernist design. Expertly carved from likely cherr...
Wood
Siamese Fighting Fish II, Gold-original bronze marine animal wildlife sculpture
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Bronze
$4,800
"Ramps & Planes No. 31 (Plum)" - wall sculpture, 3-dimensional, geometric
Located in Atlanta, GA
This geometric wall sculpture features purple hues. Atlanta-based artist Mitchell Biggio’s “Fault” is a series of complex three-dimensional wall sculptures that navigate the expans...
Wood, Acrylic
$90,000
"Tree House" Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Large-Scale, Outdoors
Located in New York, NY
"Tree House" by Hans van de Bovenkamp Unique welded bronze Renowned for his monumental sculpture created primarily for open-air public locales, Hans Van de Bovenkamp has been descri...
Metal, Bronze
Circle, Mid-Century Abstract Woven Tapestry, Textile Wall Sculpture
By Jan Hladik
Located in Wilton, CT
Circle, Mid-Century Abstract Woven Tapestry, Textile Wall Sculpture, Hand dyed wool, 87" x 63" (1976) by Czech textile artist, Jan Jladik, (192...
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Wool, Dye
$2,250
Istorzo
By Kosso Eloul
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Kosso Eloul (1920-1995) is one of our favorite sculptors and an important contributor to public art in Toronto and beyond. In addition to the numerous public sculptures in Toronto b...
Metal
Event Horizon, Original Abstract Wooden and Floral Collage, 2019
Located in Boston, MA
Event Horizon, Original Abstract Wooden and Floral Collage, 2019 30" x 50" x 2" (HxWxD) Wood, Plastic Tablecloth, Resin Repurposed materials including ...
Resin, Wood, Plastic
Close to Heart 2 - Wood sculpture by Zlata Kornilova
Located in Paris, FR
Sculpture Close to Heart 2 Limited edition of 12 Mediums: old pine, steel, acrylic hand painted, oil CLOSE TO HEART - Collection Working on the series I used a “wood with history”...
Steel
Teakwood and Quartz Crystal Modern Organic Sculpture
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Teakwood on a steel base, quartz crystal, and integrated LED lights come together in this beautiful piece. Teakwood, known for its grounding energy, brings a sense of stability and c...
Wood