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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
Returnable Items Only
YGB - Large Colorful Abstract Relief Textured Pallet Knife
YGB - Large Colorful Abstract Relief Textured Pallet Knife

YGB - Large Colorful Abstract Relief Textured Pallet Knife

Located in Zofingen, AG

This vibrant and bold abstract painting, titled "YGB," is a stunning exploration of color and texture. The artist, Tiberiu Soos, employs a palette knife technique with professional a...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Ruz Vertical Blue  Big  Interior Landscapes - Abstract Acrylic on canvas
Ruz Vertical Blue  Big  Interior Landscapes - Abstract Acrylic on canvas

Ruz Vertical Blue Big Interior Landscapes - Abstract Acrylic on canvas

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

Original work by the Spanish painter Rafael RUZ. Acrylic on canvas . Perfect condition. RUZ, Rafael (Barcelona 1956) While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to talk ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

“Lightride”
“Lightride”

“Lightride”

By Syd Solomon

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a great example of the artwork of the well known American artist, Syd Solomon. Signed top left. Titled and dated verso 1978. The painting is oil and acrylic paint on mounted synthetic canvas. Condition is excellent. Overall framed measurements are 44.75 by 24.5 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida collector. SYD SOLOMON BIOGRAPHY American 1917-2004 Written by Dr. Lisa Peters/Berry Campbell Gallery “Here, in simple English, is what Syd Solomon does: He meditates. He connects his hand and paintbrush to the deeper, quieter, more mysterious parts of his mind- and he paints pictures of what he sees and feels down there.” --Kurt Vonnegut Jr. from Palm Sunday, 1981 Syd Solomon was born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1917. He began painting in high school in Wilkes-Barre, where he was also a star football player. After high school, he worked in advertising and took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the war effort and was assigned to the First Camouflage Battalion, the 924th Engineer Aviation Regiment of the US Army. He used his artistic skills to create camouflage instruction manuals utilized throughout the Army. He married Ann Francine Cohen in late 1941. Soon thereafter, in early 1942, the couple moved to Fort Ord in California where he was sent to camouflage the coast to protect it from possible aerial bombings. Sent overseas in 1943, Solomon did aerial reconnaissance over Holland. Solomon was sent to Normandy early in the invasion where his camouflage designs provided protective concealment for the transport of supplies for men who had broken through the enemy line. Solomon was considered one of the best camoufleurs in the Army, receiving among other commendations, five bronze stars. Solomon often remarked that his camouflage experience during World War II influenced his ideas about abstract art. At the end of the War, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Because Solomon suffered frostbite during the Battle of the Bulge, he could not live in cold climates, so he and Annie chose to settle in Sarasota, Florida, after the War. Sarasota was home to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and soon Solomon became friends with Arthur Everett “Chick” Austin, Jr., the museum’s first Director. In the late 1940s, Solomon experimented with new synthetic media, the precursors to acrylic paints provided to him by chemist Guy Pascal, who was developing them. Victor D’Amico, the first Director of Education for the Museum of Modern Art, recognized Solomon as the first artist to use acrylic paint. His early experimentation with this medium as well as other media put him at the forefront of technical innovations in his generation. He was also one of the first artists to use aerosol sprays and combined them with resists, an innovation influenced by his camouflage experience. Solomon’s work began to be acknowledged nationally in 1952. He was included in American Watercolors, Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. From 1952–1962, Solomon’s work was discovered by the cognoscenti of the art world, including the Museum of Modern Art Curators, Dorothy C. Miller and Peter Selz, and the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Director, John I. H. Baur. He had his first solo show in New York at the Associated American Artists Gallery in 1955 with “Chick” Austin, Jr. writing the essay for the exhibition. In the summer of 1955, the Solomons visited East Hampton, New York, for the first time at the invitation of fellow artist David Budd...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Board

Black & Orange Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist
Black & Orange Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist

Black & Orange Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist

By Angela Wakefield

Located in Preston, GB

Black & Orange Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist, Angela Wakefield (b.1978) - entitled "Abstract Nocturne", Alternate Version Art measures 24 x 24 inc...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

City Drive Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist
City Drive Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist

City Drive Abstract Expressionist Painting by Leading British Urban Artist

By Angela Wakefield

Located in Preston, GB

City Drive Abstract Expressionist Painting - a rare early work from Leading British Urban Artist, Angela Wakefield. Entitled 'City Drive', this moody and atmospheric artwork is from ...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Acrylic, Oil, Mixed Media, Cotton Canvas, Varnish, Paint, Cotton,...

Number 15 - Painting by Alfredo Pizzi - 2025

Number 15 - Painting by Alfredo Pizzi - 2025

Located in Roma, IT

Acrylic on Canvas Medium Scale Contemporary Abstract Expressionism Exploding with dynamic energy and vivid emotion, Number 15 is a striking original work by contemporary artist Al...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Negre i Gris
Negre i Gris

Negre i Gris

By Antoni Tàpies

Located in BARCELONA, ES

Antoni Tàpies, 1976 “Black and Gray”. Etching Signed and numbered by hand Tàpies Catalogue vol.II - Galfetti nº609

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Engraving, Etching

Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter
Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter

Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter

By Angela Wakefield

Located in Preston, GB

Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Painting by Contemporary British Painter Angela Wakefield - a rare early work. Entitled 'Accrington ...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...

Vintage American Thick Impasto Framed Abstract Oil Painting
Vintage American Thick Impasto Framed Abstract Oil Painting

Vintage American Thick Impasto Framed Abstract Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Measuring: 14 by 15 inches overall and 12 x 13 inches painting alone. Framed in a white molding. Excellent condition, ready to...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Tingari
Tingari

Tingari

By Ronnie Tjampitjinpa

Located in Miami, FL

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was born around 1943 at Tjiturrunya, about 100km west of the Kintore ranges in Western Australia. Following an extended drought in the 1950s, Ronnie's family move...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Static 396 Sunshine energy, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
Static 396 Sunshine energy, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Static 396 Sunshine energy, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

By Sia Aryai

Located in Yardley, PA

This lively original painting with warm shades of sunshine on hand-cut heavy stock brings an uplifting energy to any room. See the others in the series, too, to create a dramatic g...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

The Green Dress 12 - Minimalist Figurative Framed Original Ink Painting on Paper
The Green Dress 12 - Minimalist Figurative Framed Original Ink Painting on Paper

The Green Dress 12 - Minimalist Figurative Framed Original Ink Painting on Paper

By Bettina Mauel

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers, and people...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite

Dance '72
Dance '72

Dance '72

By Sam Gilliam

Located in New York, NY

Color screenprint, 1972. Signed by the artist and dated in pencil, lower right margin. Numbered 24/60 in pencil lower left,. Printed and published by Workshop, Inc., Washington, DC...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Blue and Black Ink on Paper
Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Blue and Black Ink on Paper

Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Blue and Black Ink on Paper

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Blue and Black Ink on Paper by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French Ink and gouache on paper, unframed Size: 28.5 (height) x 19.75 (width) i...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Ruz  Black  Big  Vinculo-  Abstract Acrylic  Painting
Ruz  Black  Big  Vinculo-  Abstract Acrylic  Painting

Ruz Black Big Vinculo- Abstract Acrylic Painting

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

Original artwork by Spanish artist Rafael Ruz. Acrylic in perfect condition. While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to talk about real ‘psychodrama’, in the sam...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Untitled (PPR492) - Original Colorful Surrealist Abstract Mixed Media Artwork
Untitled (PPR492) - Original Colorful Surrealist Abstract Mixed Media Artwork

Untitled (PPR492) - Original Colorful Surrealist Abstract Mixed Media Artwork

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Max Manning is a Houston-based painter whose practice he describes as “algorithmic abstraction”, studio-built systems that he deliberately disrupts to create compositions where loose...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache

Stroll Through the Evening City
Stroll Through the Evening City

Stroll Through the Evening City

Located in Zofingen, AG

This abstract painting, with its rich palette of purples, ochres, greens, and oranges, evokes the atmosphere of an evening walk through the city. There are no literal buildings or st...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Pierced" (Four Abstract, Bold, Dye and Black Paintings on Stained Paper, Glass)
"Pierced" (Four Abstract, Bold, Dye and Black Paintings on Stained Paper, Glass)

"Pierced" (Four Abstract, Bold, Dye and Black Paintings on Stained Paper, Glass)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

PIERCED 2021 Paris, France Set of four, abstract, bold paintings framed between glass and wood. Tea-stain has been added to dye on paper, with matte black focal points created using...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Glass, Paper, Ink, Wood

Grace in These Times, Abstract Oil Painting
Grace in These Times, Abstract Oil Painting

Grace in These Times, Abstract Oil Painting

By Jenn Williamson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Jenn Williamson demonstrates a misty marshland in this contemplative scene. The rhythmic rise and fall of tonal colors break into vaporous clouds hovering over the sky, setting a calming and ethereal ambiance. Jenn paints intuitively but finds herself exploring the new process of basing the piece on an earlier sketch. Her desire to grow as an artist leads her down many new avenues.


About the Artist
Jenn Williamson expertly evokes the scenery of British Columbia in her soft abstract landscapes. She utilizes defining horizontal and vertical strokes, coupled with a skillful handling of color, to create significant depth in each piece. Her paintings, though abstracted, clearly convey the atmospheric attributes of the scene–rain, wind, clouds, fog. Jenn’s muted color palette transports the viewer to the Canadian west coast...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Untitled (W.O.F 15-3)

Untitled (W.O.F 15-3)

By Christopher Colville

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Works of Fire When I look into the night sky I am awestruck by the darkness that is the universe. As the sparse light of the stars descends, I am entangled in a state of wonder, sea...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Large Rigoberto Mena Contemporary Cuban Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Large Rigoberto Mena Contemporary Cuban Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting

Large Rigoberto Mena Contemporary Cuban Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting

By Rigoberto Mena

Located in Surfside, FL

"Grey". Oil/Acrylic on Canvas. Signature lower right Image: 39.5" x 39.5". Framed: 41" x 41". Rigoberto Mena Santana (Cuban, born 1961) was born in Artemisia, Havana in 1961, where he currently lives and works. He attended the Instituto Politecnico de Diseno Industrial, La Habana, and continued his studies at San Alejandro Fine Art Academy, Havana. He traveled extensively throughout Europe to study the great masters. Mena has had Solo Exhibitions in China, Germany, Netherlands, Mexico, Cuba, Spain, France, and Holland, and in the U.S. in Miami, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C, and California. Following the inauguration of his exhibition “Hablando en Lenguas”. In 2011, Rigoberto’s work was chosen to be a part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of Fine Art in Havana, Cuba. Through the eyes of an abstract expressionist, he draws inspiration from his home’s urban landscapes and the spirit of the people and the city. The start of the Cuban Abstract movement was through a group called Los Once or The eleven. Though Mena was not an original member the influence by this new outlet began to spread ideals that put his own practice into fashion. Rigoberto is considered an important painter of his generation. He is one of the few artists in Cuba who has to have a private art gallery. Mena's private gallery at the Plaza de Armas is adjacent to the neighboring government art gallery. His work has been exhibited in Mexico, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, and Holland. Contemporaneous with the controversial, "La Generacion de los 80s" - The 80s Generation of Contemporary Cuban Art also referred to as New Cuban Art. This new Cuban plastic arts movement, with an expression of conceptual and non specific conscience manifestation, addressed many burning issues of the time and unveiled what these artists felt was the true reality of Cuba. It was more than a moment of artistic inspiration; it was a reflection of critical self-awareness and the new social role of art - the fundamental essence of the movement. They included Rubén Torres Llorca, Jose Bedia Valdes, Ricardo Rodriguez Brey, Juan Francisco Elso, Rogelio López Marín (Gory), Gustavo Pérez Monzón, José Manuel Fors, Leandro Soto Ortiz, Israel León, Tomás Sánchez and Carlos Alfonzo. In the second half of the decade, other artistic groups were formed, including 4 x 4, Grupo Hexágono, Arte Calle, Grupo Provisional, the duet René Francisco Rodríguez and Eduardo Ponjuán González and ABTV. Grupo Puré, another new wave of young artists, graduates of the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) included Ana Albertina Delgado Álvarez, Adriano Buergo, Ciro Quintana, Ermi Taño and Lázaro Saavedra, all greatly influenced by the German Kitsch art movement. Additionally, a large number of talented creators excelled independently, such as Florencio Gelabert (sculptor), Arturo Cuenca Sigarreta, Rigoberto Mena, Humberto Castro, Gustavo Acosta, Kcho, Antonio Eligio Fernandez (Tonel), Adriano Buergo, Flavio Garciandía, Tania Bruguera, Juan Francisco Elso, Carlos Rodríguez Cárdenas, Quisqueya Henríquez, Glexis Novoa, José Toirac, Carlos García, Heriberto Mora, Segundo Planes and Pedro Vizcaíno, among others. Select Personal Exhibitions 2015 RBK 4200 ,La Cabaña,fortress. Bienal de La Habana, 2014 The shape without shape. Visual Arts Development Center, Bayamo, Cuba 2013 Allegro Ma Non Troppo. Lloyd’s Register, Havana. 2012 Spirit. Dennis Rosenthal Gallery, Chicago, U.S.A. 2011 Speaking in languages. Fine Arts National Museum, Havana. 2010 The places of time (with Alan Kleinmann). Orígenes Gallery, Havana’s Great Theater. 2009 The writing and the limit. 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana. 2007 The pleasure of absorb yourself. RAC Gallery, Veracruzan University, Xalapa, México. 2006 Coexistence. Public space, during the Ninth Havana’s Biennale. 2005 Ball change. La Casona Gallery, Havana, Cuba Das Unbestimmbare Selbst. Refugium Gallery, Berlin. 2004 From the nothing to the infinite. La Casona Gallery, Havana, Cuba 2003 The visual poetry of life. Refugium Gallery, Berlin. Rigoberto Mena. Recent Work. Habana Gallery, México DF. Recent graphic work (with Jo Ann Rothschild). Graphic workshop, Havana. Rigoberto Mena. Recent Work, Boston Art Institute, Lesley Boston University, 2001 Two plus one doesn’t make three (with Julio Girona and Angel Rivero), L Gallery, 2000 Cuba I, Space 12 Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Three abstract painters (with Jo Ann Rothschild and Julia Valdes...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

White Lotus Lithograph
White Lotus Lithograph

White Lotus Lithograph

By Hoi Lebadang

Located in Soquel, CA

White Lotus Lithograph A limited edition lithograph by listed artist Hoi Lebadang, (Vietnamese/French, 1922 – 2015). This print displays an ethereal lotus flower to center, known to ...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Lithograph

Huge French Abstract Composition Painting Cubist Shapes, Muted Color Palette
Huge French Abstract Composition Painting Cubist Shapes, Muted Color Palette

Huge French Abstract Composition Painting Cubist Shapes, Muted Color Palette

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Artist/ School: French School, mid/late 20th century Title: Abstract composition Medium: oil on canvas, unframed Size: canvas: 36 x 25.5 inches Provenance: private collection, ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Magenta pink abstraction
Magenta pink abstraction

Magenta pink abstraction

Located in Zofingen, AG

The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on a harmonious combination of pink, fuchsia, and powdery tones, softly transitioning...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled IV
Untitled IV

Untitled IV

By Johnny Friedlaender

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Untitled IV" c.1970 in an original color aquatint on Arches paper by noted Polish artist Johnny Friedlaender, 1912-1992. It is hand signed and numbered 128/135 in penci...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Aquatint

Mangent white abstraction
Mangent white abstraction

Mangent white abstraction

Located in Zofingen, AG

The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on smooth, flowing movements of paint, forming multilayered transitions of pink, mage...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Art in motion n°2
Art in motion n°2

Art in motion n°2

By Gilbert Pauli

Located in Geneva, CH

Born in 1944 in the canton of Fribourg, Gilbert Pauli currently lives in Geneva, where he devotes himself to painting and sculpture, a passion he developed from his childhood. His fa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Concrete, Steel

The Current of Time
The Current of Time

The Current of Time

Located in Zofingen, AG

“The Current of Time” From the ENIGMATIK series This painting speaks of transience and elusiveness — of what cannot be held. The mountains and clouds appear not as fixed forms, but a...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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.