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Abstract Art

ABSTRACT STYLE

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.

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Style: Abstract
This Week's Listings Only
Two Untitled Compositions
Two Untitled Compositions

Two Untitled Compositions

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Fumio Otani (Japanese, 1929-1995). Untitled and Untitled, ca, 1965. Cast and polished steel. Smaller composition measures 14.75 x 7.75 x 1.5 inches. Larger composition measures 16...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Steel

Plants in Pottery Pots - Original Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper
Plants in Pottery Pots - Original Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper

Plants in Pottery Pots - Original Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil

Steel Blue, Ikebana Series, Dale Chihuly
Steel Blue, Ikebana Series, Dale Chihuly

Steel Blue, Ikebana Series, Dale Chihuly

By Dale Chihuly

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Steel Blue, Ikebana Series Year: 2007 Medium: Acrylic on Arches Aquarelle Rag paper Size: 42 x 30 inches Inscription: Signed by the artist Notes: H...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

'Abstract, Ebony & Rust', San Francisco Bay Area Abstraction, Large Oil
'Abstract, Ebony & Rust', San Francisco Bay Area Abstraction, Large Oil

'Abstract, Ebony & Rust', San Francisco Bay Area Abstraction, Large Oil

By Eral Leek

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

Signed lower right, "Eral" for Eral Leek (American, 20th century) and dated 1962. A substantial, mid-century oil abstract comprising bold, overlapping rectangular compositional elem...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Number 12 - Painting by Alfredo Pizzi - 2025

Number 12 - Painting by Alfredo Pizzi - 2025

Located in Roma, IT

Alfredo Pizzi, “Number 12” Acrylic on Canvas Medium Scale Contemporary Abstract Expressionism Exploding with dynamic energy and vivid emotion, Number 12 is a striking original wor...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Three Totems - Large Oversized Abstract Modern Textural Grey Steel Sculptures
Three Totems - Large Oversized Abstract Modern Textural Grey Steel Sculptures

Three Totems - Large Oversized Abstract Modern Textural Grey Steel Sculptures

By Granville Beals

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. His original artworks capture the essence of Abstract Expression...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Metal, Steel

Ruz Blues Soft Upright. acrylic canvas painting
Ruz Blues Soft Upright. acrylic canvas painting

Ruz Blues Soft Upright. acrylic canvas painting

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

blues soft upright acrylic canvas painting Original artwork by Spanish artist Rafael Ruz. Acrylic on canvas in perfect condition. While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are in...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Untitled (3)
Untitled (3)

Untitled (3)

By John von Wicht

Located in Columbia, MO

Signed recto. John von Wicht (German-American, 1888 - 1970) was a painter and printmaker whose abstract works evolved from Euro...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Grid. No 6 (Contemporary Framed Gestural Lattice Motif Painting in Neutral tone)
Grid. No 6 (Contemporary Framed Gestural Lattice Motif Painting in Neutral tone)

Grid. No 6 (Contemporary Framed Gestural Lattice Motif Painting in Neutral tone)

By Birgit Blyth

Located in Hudson, NY

Grid No.6, 2009 (Contemporary Framed Abstract Grid in Neutral Shades Black & Coffee) by Birgit Blyth 40" X 25" paper vertical chromoskedesic monoprint 44 x 29 inches framed, custom frame with black wood molding and anti-reflective glass This contemporary, abstract style chromoskedasic monoprint was created by experimental photographer, Birgit Blyth. Without the use of a camera, the artist produced this chromoskedasic image by applying the photographic chemicals to black and white photo pager and exposing it to light. The variety of caramel, toffee, brown and black tones is determined by the different chemicals used and the amount of time they are exposed to light. Here, the artist paints with the photographic materials in a gestural, linear motion. Beautiful hues of coffee, caramel, brown, grey, and black intersect to create unique abstract, intersecting grid patterns that resembles a basket weave motif. The photograph is complimented with a black metal frame with non-glare glass. It is equipped with sturdy wire on the back for instant and professional quality hanging. About the artist and work: Birgit Blyth is one of our most innovative and prolific photographers who works in a darkroom yet uses no camera! Blyth has been experimenting with a technique known as Chromoskedasic painting since the early ‘90s and variations on this concept have been shown at the gallery for the last 20 years. The unusual process involves the use of silver particles in black and white photographic paper to scatter light at different wavelengths when exposed. A chemist of sorts, Blyth demonstrates a thorough knowledge of how the various photographic chemicals will react when applied to paper and exposed. Each work is unique with palettes that resonate brilliant tonalities of brown, green, black, and purple. Using this technique, Blyth creates abstract crosshatching grids and most recently has developed a more gestural series of 20 x 16 inch chromoskedasic paintings that explores the ethereal qualities made possible by the unconventional material. Birgit Blyth succeeds at keeping her work fresh and cutting-edge using analog methods that are being quickly replaced elsewhere with digital technology. Though Birgit Blyth began her photographic career using conventional photographic methods, she quickly became more interested in alternative processes. In the mid 1990’s a colleague showed her an article in Scientific American and it was here that she first discovered the technique called “chromoskedasic” painting, which would eventually lead her to fully finding her voice as a photographer. Blyth had always aligned herself with and been moved by abstract expressionist painting. The series of veil paintings by post-abstract expressionist, Morris Louis, was especially inspiring to her and caused her to ask herself how she could do similar interpretations photographically. In “chromoskedasic” painting, she found the answers and would begin on a new path in her artwork. The term “chromoskedasic” is derived from Greek roots meaning color by light scattering. Developed by a photographer named Dr. Dominic Man-Kit Lam, this process exploits the capability of silver particles in black and white photographic paper to “scatter” light at different wavelengths when exposed to light and chemicals. In her mastery of this photochemical drawing process, Blyth has painted lush washes of color into her own “Veil Series;” she has envisioned landscapes, both rural and urban, with melting swirls and marbled colors into rich palettes of toffee and lead. She has used this essentially experimental process to help her “see” the world around her. Blyth says she continues to be fascinated by the process because it requires “a combination of discipline, experimentation, and imagination, making possible a wonderful balance between control and surprise.” Because the chromoskedasic work is all analog, Blyth spends much of her studio time in the darkroom, which has become a rarity in the current world of digital photography. She does however, continue her preference for experimentation in numerous directions, even employing aspects of the digital age – this exhibit will also feature a new series of pieces created with the now defunct but much loved SX-70 polaroid camera, scanned and archivally printed on 24” x 24” fine cotton rag paper. Whatever the process, Blyth’s work is, as the painter and poet, Peter Sacks noted, a blend of “precision and mystery, of articulation and atmosphere.” Her images leave us with the feeling of ongoing action despite the apparent stillness; of qualities both dreamy and stark as light hits a stand of birch trees in a valley or a group of buildings in New York City. As Morris Louis evolved a style of painting that produced a complete integration of paint and canvas, so too has Blyth, with photo paper and chemicals, created a perfect integration of method and content. Artist CV: Born: Kousted, Denmark Resident in U.S.A. since 1963 Education: Denmark and U.S.A. Project, Inc., Cambridge MA (Photography) DeCordova Museum School, Lincoln MA (Printmaking) Maine Photography...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Monoprint

Still Life 7 - Original Bold Abstract Colorful Home Inspired Art on Paper
Still Life 7 - Original Bold Abstract Colorful Home Inspired Art on Paper

Still Life 7 - Original Bold Abstract Colorful Home Inspired Art on Paper

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Valerie Etitinwo's unique approach to abstract figurative painting celebrates the unconventional beauty found in imperfection and awkwardness. The Nigerian-Swiss artist uses bold col...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil

First Floor Biogram

First Floor Biogram

By Kory Twaddle

Located in Kansas City, MO

Title : First Floor Biogram Materials : Acrylic, gouache, oil pastel, marker, charcoal, graphite, and conté crayon on paper Date : 2018 Dimensions : 24 x 18 x .1 in. Description : ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paint, Paper, Acrylic, Tempera, Watercolor, Graphite, Conté, Oil Pastel,...

Rhodotorulic Acid. Woodcut in colors. Signed.
Rhodotorulic Acid. Woodcut in colors. Signed.

Rhodotorulic Acid. Woodcut in colors. Signed.

By Damien Hirst

Located in Paris, FR

HIRST Damien (1965 - ) Rhodotorulic Acid. Woodcut in colors. Signed. Provenance : DTR Modern Gallery, New York. About Damien Hirst (Artist) British artist Damien Hirst is widely considered the enfant terrible of contemporary art. He is the most prominent of the so-called Young British Artists, or YBAs, a group, largely composed of Hirst’s classmates at Goldsmiths, in London, that began exhibiting together in warehouses and factories after 1988 and is known for the use of unconventional materials and “shock tactics.” In the 1990s, Hirst said, “I can’t wait to get into a position to make really bad art and get away with it.” And indeed, he is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde, and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God. Working primarily in sculpture, Hirst takes after French modernist master Marcel Duchamp in his use of ready-made objects and materials, which he combines to ironic effect. He often creates in series, as with The Cure (Violet) and The Cure (Turquoise), both from 2014, which are among several pill paintings...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Large Oil Painting on Canvas
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Large Oil Painting on Canvas

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Large Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 24 by 36 inches overall. Excellent condition, ready to hang ...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Caroni
Caroni

Caroni

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Color screenprint, color pencil on heavy white wove paper, 1971. 840x595 mm; 33 1/4×23 1/2 inches (sheet), full margins. Signed and numbered 47/175 in pencil, lower margin. Publishe...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Color Pencil, Screen

Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)
Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)

Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Onirisme organique (Diptych), 146 × 114 cm each panel, Acrylic on raw canvas. Total size of the two panels: 146 × 228 cm. At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highe...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment

"Untitled #275 " watercolor print on fine art paper
"Untitled #275 " watercolor print on fine art paper

"Untitled #275 " watercolor print on fine art paper

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Over the past 20 years, Michelle Oppenheimer has become well known for composing paintings that capture the imaginative and organic possibilities of abstract watercolor and acrylic. ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Inkjet

Temporary Stillness, Abstract Oil Painting
Temporary Stillness, Abstract Oil Painting

Temporary Stillness, Abstract Oil Painting

By Heidi Hybl

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A white circle floats against a softly textured greenish-blue background. It suggests a moon, a sun, or a symbol of calm and completion. The composition feels b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

1960's French Cubist Abstract Oil Painting - Monogrammed
1960's French Cubist Abstract Oil Painting - Monogrammed

1960's French Cubist Abstract Oil Painting - Monogrammed

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Artist/ School: French School, signed with initials, dated 1960's Title: Cubist abstract Medium: oil painting on board, unframed board: 13.75 x 10.5 inches Provenance: private co...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Miracle De La Vie - Green Teal Abstract Floral Painting
Miracle De La Vie - Green Teal Abstract Floral Painting

Miracle De La Vie - Green Teal Abstract Floral Painting

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Original Oil Painting
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Original Oil Painting

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Original Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American modernist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 25 by 19 inches overall and 24 x 18 painting alone. Framed in ...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Abstract art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Sumit Mehndiratta, Giorgio Lo Fermo, Francisco Nicolás, and Dadodu . Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Synthetic Resin Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract art, so small editions measuring 0.02 inches across are also available.