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.
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Black Square (grid minimalist textile design modern geometric thread wall art)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Black nylon over panel keywords; use of common materials, assemblage, abstract sculpture, wall-sculpture, process-oriented, abstract art, line, form and color, black, monochrome scu...
Metal
$18,000
"White Shadow Tower", Minimalist Abstract Metal Sculpture, Painted White
Located in New York, NY
"White Shadow Tower" Minimalist Abstract Metal Sculpture by Michael Enn Sirvet White powder-coated aluminum Michael Enn Sirvet is a sculptor, artist, designer, and engineer, who exp...
Metal
"A pen in my underpants" - abstract sculpture
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful mixed media sculpture is part of Ilanit`s Calligraphy series. It is made of glue, sand, cement, resin and covered with automotive paint. As all of Ilanit`s works, thi...
Sandstone
Caroline’s Torso (Large) by Yann Guillon, Bronze Female Torso Sculpture
By Yann Guillon
Located in Paris, FR
Caroline’s Torso (Torse de Caroline) is a sculpture by French contemporary sculptor Yann Guillon. The piece shown in these photos is a resin display model and is not for sale. The ve...
Stone
$20,000
"Sahale Vertices", Minimalist Abstract Metal Sculpture, Aluminum Painted White
Located in New York, NY
"Sahale Vertices" Minimalist Abstract Metal Sculpture by Michael Enn Sirvet White powder-coated aluminum Towers measure: 92" x 43" x 17" and 100" x 8" x 19" About Michael Enn Sirvet...
Metal
Bronze Sculpture 'Bolas II' by Carola Eggeling, Bronze Polished
Located in Paris, FR
Bronze Sculpture 'Bolas II' by Carola Eggeling Abstract sculpture with beautiful curved lines. German bronze sculpture Bronze Polished Certificate of authenticity Numbered and sign...
Bronze
Into Black, 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 Black is one in a three part series. “In the ref...
Textile, Linen, Thread
Miami Blue - Original Impasto Inspired Cool Tone Textured Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic, Glitter
$3,500
“Mother and Child” Biomorphic Modern Abstract Sculpture of Embracing Figures
Located in Houston, TX
Biomorphic abstract sculpture by Canadian artist John McKinnon. The work features a mother figure holding her child in a loving embrace. Inspired by other modern artists such as Henr...
Marble, Alabaster
Fractured Series
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Fractured Series Red Abstract Sculpture Aluminum, metal sculpture black base, from the Fractured Series 1978, signed and dated. Paul Sisko has over thirty years of experience as a...
Metal
"Presto", Colorful, Abstract Painting on Aluminum Panel by Kevin Barrett
Located in New York, NY
"Presto" by Kevin Barrett Epoxy, acrylic, and urethane on carved aluminum panel Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic, abstract indoor and outdoor sculpture and wall relief...
Metal
"Back from the Yellow Brick Road" Large-Scale, Abstract Metal Sculpture, Yellow
Located in New York, NY
"Back from the Yellow Brick Road" by Richard Pitts Powder-coated aluminum Richard Pitts works in many media, from steel to wood to bronze to aluminum, not to mention his paintings. ...
Metal
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
Cups "G" - Japanese Paper and Brass, Abstract Wall Sculpture
By Nancy Mintz
Located in SEATTLE, WA
Cups “G” by Nancy Mintz is a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted wall sculpture that has a quiet, ethereal presence, formed from fine brass wire that moves across the wall like drawn lines. ...
Brass
$9,000
"Silver Surf" by Kevin Barrett, Abstract, Silver Metal Sculpture, Tabletop Size
Located in New York, NY
"Silver Surf" Abstract Metal Sculpture by Kevin Barrett Nickel-plated bronze Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic, abstract indoor and outdoor sculpture and wall reliefs. ...
Metal, Bronze
Long Hot Summer, wall sculpture by Merja Winqvist
Located in Wilton, CT
Materials: printed florist paper, woven Winqvist applies the ideal of functionalism by simplifying the forms as much as possible, while avoiding unnecessary decoration. She has expl...
Paper
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
My Shell (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
Red Serenity (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
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Flow Meter
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Pigmented satin lacquer on solid maple Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fair in NYC, Texas Con...
Maple, Lacquer, Pigment
Space and Time I : small interior sculpture out of clay
By Katie Yang
Located in New York, NY
Katie Yang's abstract ceramic sculptures delve into the unknowable nature of our world, exploring the interplay between control and chance. Influenced by artistic traditions from bot...
Porcelain
"Gaucho" Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Tabletop Size, Red Color
Located in New York, NY
"Gaucho" Abstract Metal Sculpture by Kevin Barrett Red automotive paint on bronze Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic, abstract indoor and outdoor sculpture and wall reli...
Metal, Bronze
"Boe`e" ("Come")- abstract sculpture
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful Laser cut sculpture is part of Ilanit`s Calligraphy series. It is made of laser cut aluminium covered with automotive paint. As all of Ilanit`s works, this work is ba...
Metal
$8,600
"Stack No. 1 (Verdigris)" - wall sculpture, 3-dimensional, geometric, green
Located in Atlanta, GA
This geometric wall sculpture features green hues. Atlanta-based artist Mitchell Biggio’s “Fault” is a series of complex three-dimensional wall sculptures that navigate the expansiv...
Wood, Acrylic
$25,000
"Between the Lines" Abstract, Paper Wall Relief Sculpture, Mixed Media Collage
Located in New York, NY
"Between the Lines" by Joan Giordano Mixed media, archival newspaper, encaustic on canvas Museum shown and collected artist Joan Giordano is known for her unique hand made paper sculpture and wall relief sculpture and Japanese influenced wall scrolls...
Paper, Encaustic, Magazine Paper, Newsprint, Canvas, Mixed Media
Thin Green Horizon, Contemporary Geometric Tapestry by Gudrun Pagter
Located in Wilton, CT
Thin Green Horizon, sisal, linen and flax, 45.5” x 55.5”, 2017. Gudrun Pagter is a Denmark-based artist that is known for creating exquisite woven tapestries. Pagter creates strong...
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Linen, Thread, Dye
Keith Haring Bearbrick 400% companion (Haring Mickey Mouse BE@RBRICK)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Mickey Mouse Bearbrick: Set of two (400% & 100%): A unique, timeless collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Keith Haring. The partnered collectible reveals Keith Haring's Mickey Mouse artwork...
Resin, Vinyl
Bronze Sculpture 'PELA' by Carola Eggeling, Bronze Polished
Located in Paris, FR
Bronze Sculpture 'PELA' by Carola Eggeling Abstract sculpture with beautiful curved lines. German bronze sculpture Bronze Polished Certificate of authenticity Numbered and signed a...
Bronze
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
$12,500
Spring Beauty
Located in Westport, CT
Steve Bickley creates beautiful metal sculpture and wall reliefs, as well as color prints. In addition, he makes large outdoor sculpture in stainless steel and aluminum. He has bee...
Metal, Enamel
3 Swans Large Iron Sculpture by Joan Augusta Munro Moore, 1970
Located in Eltville am Rhein, DE
JOAN MOORE West Sussex 1909 - 1996 London Three Swans, 1970 Welded and patinated sheet iron Signed on the reverse: "Joan Moore" 83 x 165 x 72 cm Joan Moore was the wife of English s...
Iron
"Cut Mandala Variation", Hand Cut, Laser Cut Paper Wall Relief Sculpture
By Rogan Brown
Located in New York, NY
"Cut Mandala Variation" by Rogan Brown Laser and hand cut paper, framed in plexiglass shadowbox Available by commission. Please allow 8-12 weeks production time. Rogan Brown create...
Paper
$31,068
Korè-Michelangelo statuary, 69-in High Marble Abstract Sculpture, Outdoor Art
By Mattia Bosco
Located in Paris, FR
Korè-Michelangelo statuary is a unique monumental sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Cave Michelangelo statuary marble, dimensions are 175.5 × 3...
Marble
Light-Glyph (Teal)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Brindle’s Light Glyph’s, are luminescent and mercurial sculptures, constantly shifting in hue as the viewer moves around them. Absorbing and reflecting light, they have a meditative ...
Acrylic Polymer, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - King
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made by 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 Ar...
Latex, Birch, Paint, Wax
$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
White and Silver Poppies Sculpture, Abstract Metal, 20th Century
Located in Indianapolis, IN
Donald Sultan (1952) White and Silver Poppies (2021) Shaped aluminum, polished and with white powder coat, on polished aluminum base Size: 24.5 x 24 x 3.5 in (62 x 61 x 9 cm) Base: ...
Metal
$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
Brutalist Wall Sculpture
Located in Milford, NH
A wonderful abstract brutalist welded and torch cut steel wall sculpture with many points and a burnished finish, by 20th century California artist Tony Melendy...
Metal, Steel
"Heart and Soul" Wood Sculpture 19" x 9" in by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak
Located in Culver City, CA
"Heart and Soul" Wood Sculpture 19" x 9" in by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak Sculptures that mostly depict his characteristic figures of feminine form and feeling – a central element to Abd E...
Wood
Wall Sculpture: "Amalgam"
By Megan Klim
Located in New York, NY
Megan Klim's mixed media work juxtaposes several materials on one picture plane. She highlights their inherent qualities to create surface tension which sparks a conversation and in...
Wire
"Red Round" Abstract, Industrial Bronze Metal Sculpture by Joel Perlman
By Joel Perlman
Located in New York, NY
"Red Round" by Joel Perlman Abstract sculpture in bronze Joel Perlman has been creating complex sculptures out of steel, bronze, and aluminum since the early 1970's. While minimalis...
Metal, Bronze
Pair of Antique Japanese Iron Pagodas
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Enchanting pair of Japanese pagodas crafted in iron with classic finials or sorin at the tops on five floors with hanging bells and an entrance at the bottom.
Iron
$75,000
"Ethos" by Kevin Barrett, Unique Abstract Metal Sculpture in Fabricated Bronze
Located in New York, NY
"Ethos" by Kevin Barrett Bronze outdoor sculpture Kevin Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic, abstract indoor and outdoor sculpture and wall reliefs. Metal, Bronze, Indoo...
Metal, Bronze
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Natural Mystic
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made with birch panel, latex, lacquer, enamel & MDF Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art F...
Enamel
"All Over 3", Free Hand Cut Paper Wall Relief Sculpture, Abstract, Tonal, White
Located in New York, NY
"All Over 3" by Elizabeth Gregory-Gruen Free hand cut 2-ply museum board, framed Cut Work - Elizabeth Gregory-Gruen's abstract, paper sculpture is t...
Paper, Board
"Framed & Draped: Material Collection" Lia Cook, Contemporary Wall Textile
By Lia Cook
Located in Wilton, CT
"Framed and Draped: Material Collection", acrylic on abaca, dyes on rayon; woven, 63" x 38", 1989. This contemporary abstract mixed media tapestry was done by California-based Ameri...
Fabric, Tapestry, Thread, Dye, Mixed Media, Acrylic
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Blue Copper
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Blue Copper – 24" x 24” x 1” Wood, paint, lacquer on MDF- Wood, paint, wax on MDF Blue Copper is a discreet and elegant minimalist contemporary wall sculp...
Wax, Birch, Acrylic
$18,000
"A Life of Wonderment" Abstract Paper Wall Relief Sculpture, Mixed Media Collage
Located in New York, NY
"A Life of Wonderment" by Joan Giordano Mixed media, archival newspapers, corrugated cardboard Museum shown and collected artist Joan Giordano is known for her unique hand made paper sculpture and wall relief sculpture and Japanese influenced wall scrolls...
Paper, Mixed Media, Cardboard, Magazine Paper, Newsprint
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
FUTURE PRIMITIVE TOTEM 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
$64,000
Murmuration - Large scale, smooth and polished, black granite outdoor sculpture
By Jeremy Guy
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Engineered black granite is sculpted by Jeremy Guy into an elegant swirling abstraction inspired by the flocking behaviour of starlings. Called a murmuration, this phenomenal aerial ...
Granite
$20,000
"Dark Star No. 1", Organic, Abstract Bronze Metal Sculpture, Tabletop Size
Located in New York, NY
"Dark Star #1" by Norman Mooney Edition of 10 + 2AP Blackened bronze In 1994 Mooney moved from Ireland to New York City and has been exhibiting locally and ...
Metal, Bronze
Cups "B" - Japanese Paper and Brass, Abstract Wall Sculpture
By Nancy Mintz
Located in SEATTLE, WA
Cups "B" - is an one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, abstract wall sculpture of fine brass wire, employed gesturally, like pencil lines, covered with a soft Japanese paper, creating translu...
Brass
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Black Hawk
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made with acrylic on solid maple and matte clear coat Scott Troxel draws on the aesthetics of bygone technology and the forward-looking designs of the Atomic Age and mid-cen...
Wood, Maple, Coating, Acrylic
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Stasis
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made by birch, pigmented lacquer & MDF Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fair in NYC, T...
Birch, Lacquer
British Contemporary Sculpture by Philip Hearsey - Easy Going IV
Located in Paris, IDF
Bronze on a cherrywood base Stamped with monogram signature and uniquely numbered 634A The natural bronze edge is treated with a translucent golden brown finish before lacquering for...
Bronze
"Copernicus' Midnight Sun", Abstract, Metal Sphere Sculpture in Welded Steel
Located in New York, NY
"Copernicus' Midnight Sun" from "Worlds in Collision" Large Sculpture Series by Isobel Folb Sokolow Welded steel, welding rod and gold leaf Sokolow welds organic abstract forms fro...
Steel, Gold Leaf, Metal
$2,600
Blueberry 2 - Abstract Circles Contemporary Metal Free Standing Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely manipula...
Metal, Steel
$52,000Sale Price|20% Off
Bronze Landscape Sculpture, Abstract Style, Large Scale, 2000-2009
Located in Lake Worth, FL
One of a kind cast Bronze and Steel. Cast in a foundry using the lost wax mold process it is very expensive and time consuming to create. No fewer than 12 mo...
Bronze, Steel