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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
Entered Into, Abstract Painting
Entered Into, Abstract Painting

Entered Into, Abstract Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Abstract figures fill the composition and move deeper into the scene. They suggest that spirituality is not only a personal journey but also a shared connection...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Turchese Perla I
Turchese Perla I

Turchese Perla I

By Kim Fonder

Located in Tulsa, OK

Kim Fonder Turchese Perla I Mixed media over panel in matte nickel and white washed wood float frame 14.00 X 14.00 in $800.00

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Echo not reflection
Echo not reflection

Echo not reflection

Located in Kingston, WA

Emerging from the tension between chaos and order, this creation unfolds a celestial scene through its sweeping gradient of colors and textures. The circular motifs seemingly float a...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Labyrinth no. 3
Labyrinth no. 3

Labyrinth no. 3

By John Goodman

Located in Burlingame, CA

'Labyrinth No. 3, 2001' by John Goodman. The artwork is 36 x 48 inches and it is framed in solid wood. Signed and dated by artist. Excellent condition. From Andra Norris Gallery in C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

"Untitled", Malta, Impasto Abstract Mixed Media Painting, Signed & Dated
"Untitled", Malta, Impasto Abstract Mixed Media Painting, Signed & Dated

"Untitled", Malta, Impasto Abstract Mixed Media Painting, Signed & Dated

Located in Yardley, PA

The most significant example of Cremona’s work to come to market in recent memory, this sweeping 1968 abstraction captures the haunting lyricism that defined his mature work. The com...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media

Black Lava Glazed Stoneware Ceramic Bowl
Black Lava Glazed Stoneware Ceramic Bowl

Black Lava Glazed Stoneware Ceramic Bowl

By Adrienne Fierman

Located in East Quogue, NY

"Black Lava Glaze Stoneware Ceramic Bowl", Ceramic Sculpture Dimensions:11 H × 8 W × 8 D Medium: Hand-built ceramic, multiple firings, black lava glaze exterior Adrienne Fierman’s w...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Ceramic, Stoneware

Personalities (Limited Edition Print)
Personalities (Limited Edition Print)

Personalities (Limited Edition Print)

By Mauro Oliveira

Located in LOS ANGELES, CA

**FALL SUPER SALE UNTIL OCT. 13TH - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** Limited edition of 30 museum quality prints on CANVAS, signed and numbered by the artist. The print look like as the PRI...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas

U Make Me Laft 2 - painting, oil on canvas over panel
U Make Me Laft 2 - painting, oil on canvas over panel

U Make Me Laft 2 - painting, oil on canvas over panel

By Mel Davis

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This lively abstract painting by Montreal born Mel Davis uses form, colour and pattern to convey emotion. Bold shapes in bright colours of red, orange, yellow, turquoise, gold and gr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Picnic in the Park - Mid Century Figurative Landscape
Picnic in the Park - Mid Century Figurative Landscape

Picnic in the Park - Mid Century Figurative Landscape

By Albert Genta

Located in Soquel, CA

Picnic in the Park - Mid Century Figurative Landscape Gorgeous mid century figurative landscape of a a group of figures, sitting on the lake shore with a guitar by Francis Albert Ge...

Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard, Paper

1960's French Expressionist Oil Painting Very Thick Impasto Oil Abstract
1960's French Expressionist Oil Painting Very Thick Impasto Oil Abstract

1960's French Expressionist Oil Painting Very Thick Impasto Oil Abstract

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Expressionism French School, circa 1960's period oil painting on board, unframed board: 13.75 x 16.5 inches provenance: private collection, Brittany, France condition: very ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Paradise Bird, Original Floral Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Paradise Bird, Original Floral Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas

Paradise Bird, Original Floral Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas

Located in Boston, MA

Paradise Bird, Original Floral Still Life Painting 11" x 14" x 1.5" (HxWxD) Acrylic on Canvas An abstracted floral still life pops off of the canvas with a vibrant red juxtaposed against a deep blue background. Artist Commentary: This piece is the result of taking a picture of a Bird of Paradise plant, photoshopping it into an abstract image, and then painting that image on canvas. Keywords: flower, abstract, bird of paradise, red, blue, vibrant, bright, colorful Artist Biography: Robert Crooker...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Between Seasons
Between Seasons

Between Seasons

Located in Columbia, MO

Contact for shipping quote Joel Sager Columbia, Missouri Signed on the side Joel Sager’s newest abstract paintings reflect his ongoing movement between representational and nonrep...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dor (Grief) -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Pop Culture, Pain, Healing
Dor (Grief) -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Pop Culture, Pain, Healing

Dor (Grief) -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Pop Culture, Pain, Healing

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

How is it that the world keeps going, breathing in and out unchanged, while in my soul, there is a permanent scattering? Grief is all the unspent love we carry for those we’ve lost,...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

Shock Blue Black Hole Lithograph, Abstract Geometric, Signed, 2016
Shock Blue Black Hole Lithograph, Abstract Geometric, Signed, 2016

Shock Blue Black Hole Lithograph, Abstract Geometric, Signed, 2016

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Krista Rosenkilde, a prominent Danish artist, is renowned for her dynamic use of color and abstract forms. Shock Blue Black Hole is an original lithograph, one of four in a captivati...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Large Warm Toned Vintage Figural Abstract Oil Painting
Large Warm Toned Vintage Figural Abstract Oil Painting

Large Warm Toned Vintage Figural Abstract Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American abstract painting. Oil on canvas. Measuring: 48 by 36 inches. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sun Composition
Sun Composition

Sun Composition

By Caio Fonseca

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Caio Fonseca (b. 1959) is an American artist whose practice is rooted in lyrical abstraction. Known for creating balanced compositions with tonal harmonies, Fonseca is an artist dee...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

India Ink

"Days of the week"
"Days of the week"

"Days of the week"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

This series of works was born in one breath from the heaviness of the day and became a breath of hope of tenderness and love. Everyone deserves love, that's what this series is calle...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium 2'
Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium 2'

Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium 2'

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Clay, Glaze

Ryan Cronin - Crap Fair, Painting 2001
Ryan Cronin - Crap Fair, Painting 2001

Ryan Cronin - Crap Fair, Painting 2001

Located in Stamford, CT

Crap Fair Ryan Cronin Paint on Paper 30" x 22.5" When people look at his work Cronin wants them to feel an immediate impact, even if they’re not sure what hit them. The raw, almost ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paint, Paper

Embrace

Embrace

Located in Dallas, TX

acrylic on birch panel

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Birch, Acrylic, Panel

Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Orange

Cadmium Orange

By Josef Albers

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Josef Albers (1888-1976) is affiliated with numerous defining movements of 20th century art. Historians credit Albers with fusing elements of American and European abstraction while ...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Ozymandias (unique, signed Abstract Expressionist painting by renowned painter)
Ozymandias (unique, signed Abstract Expressionist painting by renowned painter)

Ozymandias (unique, signed Abstract Expressionist painting by renowned painter)

By Ben Wilson

Located in New York, NY

Ben Wilson Ozymandias, 1989 Oil on masonite board Boldly signed by Ben Wilson on the back 36 × 48 inches Unframed Provenance: acquired from the Estate of Ben Wilson This work is titled "Ozymandias" after the famous sonnet written by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822). Shelley's poem is one of the most poignant meditations on the fleeting nature of human power and the inevitability of decline. The poem serves as a reminder that time erodes even the most imposing empires and leaders and that the pursuit of lasting fame and control is ultimately futile. Depending on how one views Ben Wilson's Abstract Expressionist painting of "Ozymandias" -- some of the imagery might reveal the head of an angry king and a sickle. Shelley's poem Ozymandias reads: I met a traveler from an antique land...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Cover
Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Cover

Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Cover

By Alexander Calder

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Alexander Calder Title: Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Cover One page Lithograph from the Derriere le Miroir No. 201 publication. Unsigned and unnumbered from an edition of pre...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled 13-42
Untitled 13-42

Untitled 13-42

Located in Crested Butte, CO

Original abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, affixed to Windsor Newton paper. The moods and whims of nature influence the work of Sarah Van Beckum. ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Acrylic

Large Abstract Acrylic on Panel Painting
Large Abstract Acrylic on Panel Painting

Large Abstract Acrylic on Panel Painting

By Mirtha Moreno

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Born in Havana, Cuba, in the late 70s during a well-documented time of religious and political oppression, abstract expressionist artist Mirtha Moreno, immigrated to the United State...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Júlia Martins Miranda – Contemporary Tropical Flora Painting, Oil on Canvas 2026
Júlia Martins Miranda – Contemporary Tropical Flora Painting, Oil on Canvas 2026

Júlia Martins Miranda – Contemporary Tropical Flora Painting, Oil on Canvas 2026

By Julia Martins Miranda

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

This work is presented in a scroll-like (parchment-style) format, with the painting executed on a flexible support and suspended using metal rods at the top and bottom, allowing the ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Large Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Large Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting

Large Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Impressive early American modernist abstract oil painting by Alton S. Tobey (1914 - 2005). Framed. Oil on board. Signed. Image size, 48H by 36L.

Category

1960s 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.