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.
Domenick Capobianco Painted Wood Sculptures, 2
Located in Astoria, NY
Domenick Capobianco (American, b. 1928) Two Abstract Polychrome Painted and Carved Wood Sculptures, wood carved into shapes and combined, the smaller signed "D. Capobianco, NYC" &nbs...
Wood, Acrylic
Glass Sculpture Drops sprinkling my discontinuous trip
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glasswhite silver transparent and matte white and noir. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 cm ). Total weight about 2...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Escape
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glasswhite silver transparent and matte white and noir. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 cm ). Total weight about 2...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Rainning inside
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass Sculpture in molted opaque black , brown/black and sandblasted. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 cm ). Total we...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Constantly and successively
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass in opaque black, blueish black, transparent white and sandblasted. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 cm ). Tota...
Blown Glass
Glass sculpture Assiduosly without words
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass Sculpture in brown/black, bluish black, opaque white and White sandblasted. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 c...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Fragmentation
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass Sculpture in opaque black , opaque white,black, grey and silver white. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 cm ). T...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Division
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass Sculpture in metal opaque black, black, grey and sandblasted. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 cm ). Total weig...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Thin
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass Sculpture in moltted opaque black, transparent white crystal, grey, silver transparent sandblasted. Includes its black metal base ( abou...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Fear catalogues
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass in mottled opaque black, black, grey, transparent white silver and sandblasted transparent. Includes its black metal base (about32 cm X ...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Shell
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous One of a kind Blown and fused Glass sculpture in opaque white, black, grey, and white silver transparent . Includes its black metal base (about 32cm X 10 cm X 18cm ). Total ...
Blown Glass
Glass sculpture When the Queen leaves
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous,One of a kind Blown and fused Glass in opaque black with metal effects, black, grey and transparent sandblasted. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 cm X 10 cm X 18 ...
Blown Glass
Glass Sculpture Discreet presence
By L.G.
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous art piece, One of a kind Blown and fused Glass in opaque black, opaque white, grey, dark forest green and sandblasted transparent. Includes its black metal base ( about 32 ...
Blown Glass
"We Three", Jerry Dane Sanders, Outside Brushed Steel Sculpture, 180x72x72 in.
Located in Dallas, TX
"We Three" by Jerry Dane Sanders is a large brushed finish stainless steel outdoor sculpture measuring 180x72x72. Crafted from high-quality stainless steel, this piece features three pillars that sway gracefully between each other, creating a mesmerizing visual effect. The sculpture is perfect for adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to any outdoor space and is sure to be a conversation starter at any event or gathering. Whether you're looking to enhance the beauty of your garden or simply want to add a unique and eye-catching piece to your outdoor decor, this sculpture is sure to impress. Jerry Dane Sanders Sadly passed away at age 58 from brain cancer...
Stainless Steel
Leda and the Swan, Ed. 1/9
Located in Greenwich, CT
Classical mythology is fraught with stories of sexual misdeeds by Zeus, King of the Gods. Often Zeus would fall in love with a mortal woman and then transform himself into an animal ...
Bronze
White Wall Sculpture 'Wandobjekt 04/21' by Carola Eggeling, Aluminum Laquered
Located in Paris, FR
White Wall Sculpture 'Wandobjekt 02/21' by Carola Eggeling Abstract sculpture with beautiful curved lines. German aluminum sculpture Aluminum white matted laquer Numbered and signed...
Steel
$32,000
Spoke
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, Wood
Untitled VI : abstract steel sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Transform any interior or exterior into a truly unique space with the dynamic works of an acclaimed sculptor Naomi Press. Naomi Press was one of the very few women working in large ...
Steel
Composition 5
By Koji Takei
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Koji Takei works reference synthetic cubism in the most literal of senses. In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in abstracted form. These pieces...
Metal
Wood panels with Dowels
By Koji Takei
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Koji Takei works reference synthetic cubism in the most literal of senses. In cubist artworks, the objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in abstracted form. These pieces...
Metal
$18,000
Untitled
By Robert Adams
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Untitled" is a bronze sculpture made by Robert Adams in 1979. The work is number 3 from an edition of 6. The artwork size is 29 1/2 x 9 3/4 x 3 1/2 inche...
Bronze
"Prières et Rituels dans L'émerveillement" - indoor / outdoor sculpture, surreal
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Prières et Rituels dans L'émerveillement" is a surrealist metal sculpture made of stainless steel & bronze with patina. This boat, branch, ladder sculpture...
Bronze, Stainless Steel
Rocker
Located in Greenwich, CT
Dutch, b. 1938 Renowned for his monumental sculpture created primarily for open-air public locales, Hans Van de Bovenkamp has been described as an artist-mystic whose work -- with i...
Bronze
Generator
By Clark Derbes
Located in Lincoln, MA
carved and polychromed maple
Wood, Paint, Underglaze
Abstract Ceramic Vessel Sculpture: 'Creature Medium No 11'
By Ak Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Ak Jansen was born in Dongen, The Netherlands, in 1988. He studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven focusing on textile design, material culture, and techniques of fabrication. He wor...
Clay, Glaze
Abstract wood Sculpture: 'Horn'
Located in New York, NY
The artistic collaboration of Kelly Bugden + Van Wifvat has produced a thought-provoking body of sculptures, paintings, and constructions. Nature, childhood memories, and everyday ar...
Wood, Paint
Blue Squares
By Dennis Leri
Located in New York, NY
Painted Steel. Metal Sculpture About the Artist: I create sculpture for indoor, outdoor, private and public spaces from various materials such as steel, copper and wood. Through the...
Metal, Steel
Aria (Violet)
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...
Lacquer, Automotive Paint
Untitled (Beach)
By Mattia Toso
Located in New York, NY
Unique oblong vase with irregular shaped mouth using traditional Murano glassblowing and cold-working techniques.
Glass
Untitled III : abstract steel sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Transform any interior or exterior into a truly unique space with the dynamic works of an acclaimed sculptor Naomi Press. Naomi Press was one of the very few women working in large ...
Steel
Green Tower
By Joel Perlman
Located in Greenwich, CT
Abstract sculpture, unique American, b. 1943 New York-born sculptor Joel Perlman has been creating abstract metal works throughout his 30-year career. Recognized for his immense st...
Bronze
"Metamorphosis" Bronze and Marble sculpture 22" x 6" in by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak
Located in Culver City, CA
"Metamorphosis" Bronze and Marble sculpture 22" x 6" in by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak Songbird, 2004 Bronze & Marble 56 x 16 cm, Signed & Dated Sculptures that mostly depict his...
Marble, Bronze
Light Form 255.130
By Marc Vaux
Located in London, GB
Acrylic Edition of 35 31 x 31 x 5 cms (12 1/5 x 12 1/5 x 2 ins)
Acrylic Polymer
Triple Roller
By Clark Derbes
Located in Lincoln, MA
carved and polychromed pine
Wood, Paint, Underglaze
$2,800
Delta
By Robert Milnes
Located in Denton, TX
Stoneware with colored slips. Cone 04 textured and satin glazes. Signed, titled, and dated in ink on bottom by Robert Milnes Milnes served as Dean of the College of Visuals Arts and...
Earthenware, Slip, Glaze
$145,000
Watson's Wand
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, Wood
$10,500
"Young Flower" Abstract Sculpture 41" x 24.5 "x 13" in Ed. 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis
Located in Culver City, CA
"Young Flower" Abstract Sculpture 41" x 24.5 "x 13" in Ed. 1/5 by Sergii Shaulis 2022 Aluminum From the Fateful Flowers series Approximate weight 33 lbs ABOUT ARTIST Born on 27 May 1985 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. From 2005 to 2011 studied at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, at the Faculty of "Fine Arts" specialty "Easel and monumental sculpture." Now studying postgraduate at Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. Works are in private collections in Ukraine, Israel, Germany, USA, Australia, Finland, Holland, Spain, Belgium, England. Education 2002‑2005 Faculty of Engineering and Physics (NTU KhPI) 2005‑2011 Easel and monumental sculpture (KSADA) 2012-2016 postgraduate education (KSADA) Exhibitions 2007-15 City exhibition HONSKHU. Kharkiv. 2007-14 Ukrainian Exhibition KONSKHU. Kyiv. 2008-11 "The maestro and his students", KSADA. Kharkiv (Audience Award 2009) 2008 11 International Triennial of sculpture. Kyiv . 2009 “Male portrait”, gallery KSADA. Kharkiv . 2009 "You get SMS ", Kharkiv ( Grand Prix "The best sculpture...
Metal
"Symphony I" Bronze Sculpture 28" x 15" inch by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak
Located in Culver City, CA
"Symphony I" Bronze sculpture 28" x 15" inch by Ibrahim Abd Elmalak Bronze & Marble Signed & Dated Sculptures that mostly depict his characteri...
Marble, Bronze
Spotted Blue White
By Eric Johnson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
The Madame X works exemplify Eric Johnson’s passionate embrace of the sensuality of form. The sculptures are imbued with abstract bursts of color beneath pristine surfaces, which appear to undulate as one moves around their double-helix curves. Seen together, the series is a celebration of the exquisite harmony of depth, structure, color, and lovingly polished surfaces, somewhat blurring the line between painting and sculpture. Interestingly, the Madame X series was inspired by a painting by John Singer Sargent, and pays homage to Sargent’s portrait of the same title, which scandalized the Paris Salon of 1884. While Parisians were shocked by the slip of a dress strap and the alabaster complexion of the portrait’s subject, Johnson was inspired by the sinewy, vertical curves of Sargent’s composition. At the nexus of the L.A. art scene for nearly forty years, Eric Johnson’s work bears a distinctly Southern California hot-rod, materials-based aesthetic. Early on, Johnson was drawn to artists whose work also grew out of L.A.’s surf and car culture sensibilities. Utilizing new materials and industrial products, like resin & plastic, artwork of impossibly slick, sleek character began to emerge and was termed “Finish Fetish”. Johnson’s work is next generation heir to this work, and carries forward the DNA of such legendary Light and Space, Finish Fetish, artists as Craig Kaufman, DeWain Valentine, Billy Al Bengston, Larry Bell, Tom Jenkins and Tony DeLap. Eric Johnson’s works are also acutely personal representations of his life. A severe neck injury, and struggle with intense spinal pain, served as the initial catalyst for his exploration of structural forms, which are also informed by his ancestral heritage - Scottish, Cree Indian, and perhaps a boat-building urge from the Norse. His father, a race-car driver and expert in custom car fabrication, passed on a passion for cars and their restoration. Scouted into the Air Force during the Vietnam war as a fencing instructor (though he never served), Johnson discovered he was color-blind during an eye-exam. Surprisingly, this ignited an interest in color and experiments with layering automotive pigments and clear resins, which Johnson continues with in this series, fabricating molds, which allow him to do multiple iterations of the same shape while investigating variations of color. Eric Johnson attended Valley College; California Institute of Art and received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from University of California at Irvine. Johnson’s work is in many public and private collections, including: Oakland Museum; Laguna Beach Museum; Museum of Art and History (MOAH); Lancaster, CA; C.B.S. Broadcasting, New York, NY; Digital Domain, Venice, CA; Mary Barnes...
Resin, Acrylic
"Voyageur en Bateaux" - large abstract painting, drips, nautical
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Voyageur en Bateaux" is a sculptural wall piece featuring hues of brown and blue. Corrina is inspired by the work of Louise Bourgeois, Louise Nevelson, Albert Paley, Lee Bontecou. ...
Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Pigment
Red Barn : abstract steel sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Transform any interior or exterior into a truly unique space with the dynamic works of an acclaimed sculptor Naomi Press. Naomi Press was one of the very few women working in large ...
Steel
White Night : large-scale steel sculpture
By Naomi Press
Located in New York, NY
A large-scale steel sculpture by Naomi Press. Signed with initials. Naomi Press is a female abstract sculptor, who was one of the very few women working in large scale with steel in...
Stainless Steel
Untitled
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Media = carbon and oil on wood.
Mixed Media
$14,500
Aria (Red)
By Eric Johnson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Eric Johnson creates enigmatic and sensual abstract sculptures that are constructed with pigment, wood and resin. Johnson’s work seamlessly unites two traditions of Southern California art - the sleek and sexy aesthetic of the Finish Fetish movement and the organic and elegant tradition of woodworking. His handcrafted pieces are sheathed in resin skins, which often reveal glimpses of the wooden architectures encased within. Endlessly fascinated by physics and science, Johnson’s references range from cosmology and astrophysics to the human form. Johnson’s work is deeply personal - in addition to drawing inspiration from his ancestral boat-building heritage (which is Norwegian, Scottish and Cree Native...
Wood, Lacquer
Triad 3 : contemporary steel sculpture and home decor
By Susan Woods
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful contemporary sculpture by Susan Woods. This artwork would be a great addition to any location and a wonderful decor for your home or commercial space. The sculpture is a...
Steel
Untitled I : abstract steel sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Transform any interior or exterior into a truly unique space with the dynamic works of an acclaimed sculptor Naomi Press. Naomi Press was one of the very few women working in large ...
Steel
Aria (Green)
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...
Wood, Lacquer
Mask "The Monkey" Brass Wood Sculpture
Located in Paris, FR
One of a Kind, French Wood and Patinated Brass Mask Sculpture, (Weight 7kg). About the Artist: Graduate in ceramic design and metal sculpture (2001, 2003), he worked during two years...
Brass
Vibron : steel sculpture
By Naomi Press
Located in New York, NY
A steel sculpture by Naomi Press. Signed with initials. Naomi Press is a female abstract sculptor, who was one of the very few women working in large scal...
Stainless Steel
Moon Glow
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Glass art
Glass
$4,500
$14,500
Boutade 38
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
$40,000
"Rocker VI", David L. Deming, Stainless Steel Contemporary Sculpture, 67x37x24
Located in Dallas, TX
David L. Deming's "Rocker VI" is skillfully welded together with stainless steel and polished to a mirror-like sheen. The included base props the sculpture at eye level for the perfe...
Stainless Steel
Gallant : large-scale steel sculpture
By Naomi Press
Located in New York, NY
A large-scale steel sculpture by Naomi Press. Signed with initials. Naomi Press is a female abstract sculptor, who was one of the very few women working i...
Stainless Steel
Vanguard : 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 IX : large-scale steel sculpture
By Naomi Press
Located in New York, NY
A large-scale steel sculpture by Naomi Press. Signed with initials. Naomi Press is a female abstract sculptor, who was one of the very few women working i...
Stainless Steel
Principled Opportunism Matter
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Ruan Hoffmann uses ceramic earthenware as his preferred medium. Ruan Hoffmann chooses familiar objects such as plates as his canvases, however the resulting works are not presented a...
Ceramic, Porcelain, Glaze
$5,750
To Find Each Other, We Have to Leave Our Depths; To Survive, We Can Not Stay
Located in Boston, MA
Original Contemporary Sculpture Wood, plastic whale, plastic squid, dyes, pigmented finish, clear finish Artist's Commentary: "The sperm whales of the world consume more squid each year by mass than the mass of the human population of the planet. It's a lot of squid. They're almost constantly hunting squid. What you may not have known is that there is some evidence giant squid...
Wood, Dye
$10,400
"Sacred Balance II" Teak Wood and Quartz Crystal Modern Organic Sculpture
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Sacred Balance II is a stunning representation of harmony and equilibrium. The Stained Bleached Teak Wood, with its unique light tones and intricate grain, creates a calming, organic...
Wood