Abstract Art
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.
2010s Abstract Art
Stone, Metal, Brass, Copper, Steel
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer depicts a lush green garden accented with a lazy brook reflecting the trees and clear sky above. "The grounds of French chateaux are usually extremely manicured," says Janet. "With geometrically designed features like straight-edged canals, the manor residence shows its preference of the time for order and symmetry."
About the Artist
Janet Dyer doesn’t like to spend too much time talking about her art, as she’d rather be creating it. She doesn’t have an artist statement, the traditional statement of purpose crafted by visual artists to explain their method. On becoming an artist, Janet simply states, “I picked up some crayons and pencils and brushes and kept using them.†She believes the process of creating art is equal in importance to the final product. The artist enjoys relinquishing control of her paintings to find delightful surprises in her so-called “mistakes.†Janet's expressively gestural yet bucolic landscapes are a testament to the success of her method.
Words that describe this painting: France, water, sunny, summer, brook, river, stream, garden, Europe, trees, hedge, landscape, impressionism, acrylicpaint, reflection, impressionism, landscape, acrylic painting, green
French Canal...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Paper, Ink, Casein
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Oil Crayon, Oil, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Fabric
1980s Abstract Art
Etching
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Giclée
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Ink
1990s Abstract Art
Mixed Media, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Art
C Print
2010s Abstract Art
Linen, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Board, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Giclée
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Abstract Art
Oil
1970s Abstract Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic, Board
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic, Graphite, Canvas, Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Art
Giclée
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Latex
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Art
Screen
2010s Abstract Art
Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Watercolor, Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Gouache, Vellum
2010s Abstract Art
Archival Pigment, Varnish
Artist Comments
An abstract cityscape by artist Terri Bell of tonal greens and accented with varying grids and patterns. Dots and circles are adding intricate details and whimsy. "It reminds me of a city skyline on a cool morning when the shadows are long," describes Terri. "It has the feel of a warm environment where everything is green and sophisticated."
About the Artist
Artist Terri Bell constructs highly detailed geometric fields that dance to life with engaging colors and soft edges. As a young child, Terri always wanted to paint, draw, or play imaginative games. She entered college as an art major and received important mentorship from several teachers. Unfortunately, it was at this point that Terri’s art career was put on hold. "I had to make a couple of detours along the way, and ended up changing my major to political science," she says, "which led me to work in a high stress, high profile state government position." Terri’s creative pursuits were more limited but ever-present. "Art was the balance in my life and I never gave up my dream." Through hard work and determination, she has returned to her calling as a full-time career artist. When she’s not painting, Terri enjoys cooking, container gardening, and spending time with her husband and two Yorkies.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, geometric, squares, circles, modern, contemporary, skyline, city, cityscape, urban, metro, detailed, calming, sophisticated, abstract, mixed media artwork
Green Sky...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Giclée
