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.
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
$5,175
Crossed Gazes by Taly Cohen Mixed Media Textile Window Sculpture Photograph 2025
By Taly Cohen
Located in Miami, FL
Crossed Gazes by Taly Cohen Mixed Media Textile Window Sculpture Photograph 2025 SUPPORT: CANVAS ON WOODEN STRETCHER FRAME: WOODEN FRAME The Janelas series by Taly Cohen was born...
Wool, Cotton, Wood
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Old Sport
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made in latex washes, enamel, birch, MDF & lacquer Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fa...
Enamel
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - 1986
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made with acrylic, enamel & lacquer on MDF Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fair in NY...
Enamel
$748Sale Price|20% Off
Interior Lamp - "Virus" with shadow projection - unique contemporary - small
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Virus Lamp Tripod small Our Virus luminaire is a spherical luminaire on pedestals with a color filter attachment for indoor use. The tubular sectional steel has been arranged here a...
Steel
Robert's Dumpster, Modern and Abstract Wall Art, Inspired by Robert Rauschenberg
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: This piece was inspired by a richly splattered construction dumpster. Sections of it reminded me of work by Robert Rauschenberg which I have often admired. I have...
Mixed Media, Leather
British Contemporary Sculpture by Philip Hearsey - Fragment I
Located in Paris, IDF
Bronze on a composite base Unique variation Stamped with monogram signature and uniquely numbered 751A The concave surface is finished in oxidised silver leaf. The natural bronze edg...
Stone, Bronze
Birdwatcher Trophy
Located in Bozeman, MT
The heart and hand needed to create a strong American painting is not limited to those living east of the Mississippi. It is a product of endless work, self-evaluation, and the coura...
Mixed Media, Oil
British Contemporary Sculpture by Philip Hearsey - Shifting Skies I
Located in Paris, IDF
Bronze on a composite base Unique variation Stamped with monogram signature and numbered 755A Apertures are formed by bronze finding it’s own boundaries because the space is too thin...
Bronze
Taly Cohen Contemporary Textile Window Sculpture in Red and Ochre
By Taly Cohen
Located in Miami, FL
This work is part of Taly Cohen’s Janelas (Windows) series, a body of work born during the isolation of the pandemic in April 2020. Confined to her apartment in São Paulo, Cohen bega...
Wood, Wool, Cotton
Golden Apples 54 Ceramic Sculpture, Abstract, Hand-Built, 2010+
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 46 Ceramic Sculpture, Abstract, Hand-Built, 2010+
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
Ode to the Ancient Monarch aluminum sculpture by James C. Myford
Located in Hudson, NY
This work is aluminum on a black slate base, measuring 28.5" x 9" x 6". Myford's interest in aluminum began in 1970 when he attended a workshop sponsored by Alcoa at the Art Center ...
Slate, Metal
Gradient No.10
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lisa Bartleson is a Northern California - based mixed-media artist whose work is inspired by the Light and Space movement from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Her work has a luminous quality ...
Resin, Wood Panel, Pigment
Ceramic Texture Square Sculpture Abstract Wall Earth
Located in Buffalo, NY
The material of choice for Neil Tetkowski's abstract sculptural work comes directly from the Earth. Most often he uses clay, which he believes is the perfect medium to express his re...
Ceramic
Bad Moon Ascending, Abstract Steel Sculpture, 2020
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Bad Moon Ascending is a result of a lyric in the CCR song "Bad Moon Rising", the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and my sculptural pursuits of my "Event" series. Keywords: abstract, welded metal Artist Biography: Fred Klingelhofer, a primarily self-taught artist, grew up in a Chicago south side neighborhood. He received a BS degree in physics from Roosevelt University and worked as an engineer for 30 years. During those years he enrolled in art workshops and classes at a nearby community college completing courses in figure drawing, 2D and 3D design, ceramics, sculpting the figure, welding and metal sculpture. His focus has been on creating sculpture since 2006. Fred has exhibited his sculpture in a number of group exhibitions with Chicago Sculpture International, Art Prize (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Sculpture in the Park (St Charles, Illinois), Sculpture Walk Sioux Falls...
Steel
Blue Cube, Abstract Sculpture Suitable for Outdoors, 2021
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: The piece was originally commissioned by a son for his mother. Her property in Mont Tremlant, Canada was an ideal setting for this piece. Truly a piece of sculpt...
Steel
Light-Glyph (Gold)
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
$4,500
"Midnight Rider" Wall Sculpture 42" x 29" inch by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak
Located in Culver City, CA
"Midnight Rider" Wall Sculpture 42" x 29" inch by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak Fiberglass Signed & Dated Sculptures that mostly depict his characteristic figures of feminine form and feel...
Fiberglass
Friedrich Gräsel, Geometric Composition 1968, Plastic Relief, Signed
Located in Eltville am Rhein, DE
Friedrich Gräsel Bochum 1927 - 2013 Osnabrück Untitled, 1968 PVC Monogrammed and dated "68" on the reverse 68 x 59 cm Catalogue raisonné 534 Authenticity guaranteed in writing. The ...
Plastic, PVC
Francesco De Molfetta (1979) – Bush Bunny– Hand painted wood and lacquered- 2008
Located in Varese, IT
Hand painted wood and lacquered resin sculpture, 2008 sculpture size: 25 x 15 x 10 cm hand signature under the base We offer professional packaging and tracked shipping with DHL Ex...
Resin, Wood, Paint
$5,440Sale Price|20% Off
18-10 Abstract Steel Sculpture, Brutalist Style, Signed, 2010-
By Ben McLeod
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
Finney I
Located in Bozeman, MT
Bronze casted sculpture
Bronze
$2,450
Vessel in White and Gold - No 119, Contemporary Abstract Ceramic Sculpture
Located in Boston, MA
Vessel in White and Gold - No 119, Abstract Ceramic Sculpture, 2022 17" x 12" x 7" (HxWxD) This ceramic vessel is formed in an organic shape, with its rounded shape almost resemblin...
Clay, Porcelain, Stoneware
Sculpture of Unicorn with Chain: 'Unicorn in Chains'
By Ivy Naté
Located in New York, NY
Ivy Naté uses universally recognizable objects in non-traditional ways. She creates both large-scale installations and smaller works. Yet, each express Ivy’s captivation with raw hum...
Mixed Media
Triple Scribble Blue Gold
By Ryan Coleman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This laser cut acrylic series of Scribble Sculptures is inspired by the gestures and quick mark making found in abstract expressionist painting and drawing, and the whimsical, bold color and shape found in classic cartoon. Ryan Coleman...
Plexiglass
Envelope No. 1
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
Richard Smith (British 1931-2016) Envelope No.1 1968 Aluminum Wall Sculpture 16 x 16 x 16-inch, triangle shape, by 2 ½ inches wide Signed and dated ‘68 Numbered edition 10/30 Abo...
Metal
Arched Dancers 2 (Miniature) #11/40
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Bronze
Kohler Vase, Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture by Joe DiStefano
Located in Long Island City, NY
Made as part of the artist's residency with Arts/Industry tat John Michael Kohler Arts Center in 1976. The underside is inscribed with the glaze blend used in the piece. Kohler Vase...
Ceramic
Stick in the Mud, Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture by Joe DiStefano
Located in Long Island City, NY
Stick in the Mud Joe DiStefano, American (1940–2020) Ceramic Size: 10.5 x 5 x 6 in. (26.67 x 12.7 x 15.24 cm)
Ceramic
Lip Service, Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture by Joe DiStefano
Located in Long Island City, NY
Lip Service Joe DiStefano, American (1940–2020) Ceramic Vase, Signed Size: 8 x 14 x 6.5 in. (20.32 x 35.56 x 16.51 cm)
Ceramic
Bird and Blossom, Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture by Joe DiStefano
Located in Long Island City, NY
Bird and Blossom Joe DiStefano, American (1940–2020) Ceramic, signed Size: 5.5 x 9.5 x 6 in. (13.97 x 24.13 x 15.24 cm)
Ceramic
Brown Bowl, Hand-Blown Glass Sculpture by Ira Sapir
By Ira Sapir
Located in Long Island City, NY
Glass Bowl Ira Sapir, American (1955) Hand-Blown Glass Size: 4 x 7.63 x 7.63 in. (10.16 x 19.37 x 19.37 cm)
Blown Glass
Light-Glyph (Avocado)
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
Untitled PB3
By Toby Zallman
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: In my sculpture, I have always combined unrelated materials to represent oppositions such as hard and soft, ephemeral and enduring, open and closed, and natural an...
Plastic
Valadon : contemporary modern abstract geometric sculpture
By Greg Chann
Located in New York, NY
Greg Chann creates contemporary modern abstract geometric sculptures. His constructions are complex interwoven systems of physical elements varying in size,...
Steel
Untitled Kernel
By Eric Johnson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Inspired by both art and science, Eric Johnson creates composite works of pigment, wood and resin that reference a kinship with other artists: to the sensuality of Brancusi, the arch...
Resin
$16,090
Proof
Located in Belgravia, London, London
"Proof" by Michael Thacker British, 21st Century Aurora Blue Marble with Platinum Leaf Sculpture size (HxWxD): 31 x 15.75 x 13.5 inches Monogrammed and dated 2 5 24
Marble, Platinum
$11,000
" Universal Harmony " Rosewood and Quartz Crystal Modern Organic Sculpture
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Universal Harmony is a stunning balance of natural beauty and refined elegance, featuring the grounding warmth of Rosewood and the luminous energy of Quartz Crystal. The rich, organi...
Rosewood
$6,188
Meander
Located in Belgravia, London, London
"Meander" by Michael Thacker British, 21st Century Original Sculpture, Carrara Marble Sculpture size (HxWxD): 9 X 21 X 11.5 inches
Marble
Face with goggle-eyed, Abstract Sculpture, Suitable for Outdoors
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Half face with one goggling eye. The turnable eye has pupil on both side, light can go through. When the eye turned sideway, it becomes cat eye. Our eye movements are the most talkative part of our face. Keywords: Abstract, geometric, white, black, kinetic, stone Artist Biography: Born in Hungary, Andrasfalvy is 50, with swift dark eyes, a chiseled jaw, and a casually athletic frame that stretch, well over six feet. He exudes a quiet restlessness. He holds an M.D., a Ph.D., and two curricula vitae—one that lists eleven peer-reviewed publications on neuronal physiology, and another that describes dozens of sculptures, several of them commissioned and many gifts. The pivot between art and science started early. When Andrasfalvy was 10 years old, his father gave him a woodcarving set. By age 20, he had completed his first stone sculpture—and was on the path to medical school. Ever since, he’s spent weekends sculpting leftover granite or marble salvaged...
Granite, Marble
Bodies at Rest #5, Small Ceramic Abstract Sculpture, White
Located in SEATTLE, WA
Bodies At Rest #5 by Paige Stewart is a sculptural ceramic form that feels balanced and quietly powerful, with rounded, architectural volumes connected by a gentle central curve. Its...
Ceramic, Glaze
$4,538
Lacuna
Located in Belgravia, London, London
"Lacuna" by Michael Thacker British, 21st Century Statuary Marble Sculpture size (HxWxD): 15.25 x 8 x 5 inches Monogrammed and dated 29 2 23
Marble
$9,488
Cusp
Located in Belgravia, London, London
"Cusp" by Michael Thacker British, 21st Century Blue Aurora Marble with Gold Leaf Sculpture size (HxWxD): 27 x 23 x 8.75 inches
Marble, Gold Leaf
$7,673
Bead
Located in Belgravia, London, London
"Bead" by Michael Thacker British, 21st Century Ruivina Marble and Rosenoble Gold with Platinum Leaf Sculpture size (HxWxD): 27.5 X 13 X 9.5 inches Monogrammed and executed 2024
Marble, Gold Leaf, Platinum
Bronze, Aqua, Crimson Ellipse 7112
Located in Napa, CA
David Patchen creates vivid and luminous glass works using the time-honored techniques of cane and murrine glass blowing, originally discovered in the glass blowing studios of Venic...
Blown Glass
$13,000
Knife
By Kevin Kelly
Located in Westport, CT
This aqua resin and acrylic sculpture is an abstract female for created by Kevin Kelly. The dimensions are noted include a 4 inch high white base. The pedestal is separate. Kelly wor...
Resin, Acrylic
Geometric Circles - Abstract Blue Wall Copper Mosaic
Located in Boston, MA
Geometric Circles 36.0 x 36.0 x 1.0, 21.0 lbs Copper, mixed media Hand signed by the artist Artist's Commentary: "Overlapping circles of translucent blue form multiple patterns in...
Copper
$30,124Sale Price|20% Off
Glacier
Located in PARIS, FR
"The Glacier" by Emile GILIOLI (1911-1977) "Perlino rosato" polished marble signed to underside "Gilioli" and dated "61" France 1961 height 27 cm width 29 cm depth 20 cm Provenance : World House Galleries, New York, 1962; Joseph H. Hirshhorn, New York, 1962-1966; Donation to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington; Christie's, sold by order of the trustees of the Hirshhorn Museum, 1994. Biography : Émile Gilioli (1911-1977) was a French sculptor. He was one of the leaders of French post-war abstract sculpture, alongside Brancusi and Arp. Born into a family of Italian shoemakers living in Paris, they moved to Nice after the World War I. In 1932, Émile Gilioli took lessons at the School of Decorative Arts in Nice, notably with the future artist Marie Raymond...
Marble
Marbles for Atlas 8 Ceramic Sculpture, Abstract, 12x12 Inches, 2010+
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, safe for outdoors. My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused on creating ...
Ceramic
Marbles for Atlas 7 Ceramic Sculpture, Abstract, 12 Inch, Unframed
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand Built and glazed ceramic. Free standing, safe for outdoors. My interest in clay as an artistic medium began in 1984. Like most beginners in the medium, I focused on creating ...
Ceramic
Mirror Mirror
By Ryan Coleman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This laser cut acrylic series of Scribble Sculptures is inspired by the gestures and quick mark making found in abstract expressionist painting and drawing, and the whimsical, bold color and shape found in classic cartoon. Ryan Coleman...
Plexiglass
$10,472
"Xenolith" Outdoor Garden Abstract Sculpture Silver Black Aluminium Steel
Located in Benahavis, ES
The modern Sculpture " Magma ” is a unique metal Sculpture made from a burnout mold by David Marshall in 2024, sand cast in aluminium and steel in our foundry, handcrafted by the Ar...
Metal
$6,824
" Fissure" Unique Modern Metal Sculpture for Garden our Indoor cast Aluminium
Located in Benahavis, ES
The modern Outdoor / Indoor Sculpture " Fissure ” is a unique Mural made from a burnout mold by David Marshall in 2024, sand cast in aluminium in our foundry, handcrafted by the Art...
Metal
Abstract studio glass sculpture by a pioneering glass artist
Located in Colfax, CA
An early studio glass creation by Dr. Robert Fritz. Dr. Robert Fritz attended San Jose State College in the early 1950s, where he earned a Bachelors, and Master's of Arts. He went ...
Blown Glass
Large, sculptural studio pottery vessel by Robert Sperry
By Robert Sperry
Located in Colfax, CA
A large bulbous horned vase formed studio pottery vessel by American ceramicist Robert Sperry. Sperry is an important figure in the American studio craft movement. He was born in Bu...
Stoneware
Grey 2 - intricate grey 3D abstract geometric drypoint drawing on paper
Located in New York, NY
Finesse and delicacy are what characterize best Antonin Anzil’s artistic practice. Paper as a medium seems incompatible with the idea of engraving or sculpturing; and yet. Using a sh...
Archival Paper
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
Upcycled metal Unique work Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Metal
Groundless, Original Abstract Sculpture, 2018
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: As a continuation of the screens series, I experimented with adding air between layers to show the organic process and the play with not only reflected light from behind, but also shadow. (Photo files include one angled shot, and one closeup.) Keywords: abstract, transparent, brush...
Metal
" DELTA FORCE " Modern Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture Wood Aluminium
Located in Benahavis, ES
The Abstract Totem " Delta Force ” is a unique Sculpture made from a burnout mold by David Marshall in 2015, sand cast recycled aluminium in our foundry, handcrafted and mounted o...
Metal