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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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Period: 20th Century
Style: Abstract
Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture of a Woman's Torso #79
Located in Soquel, CA
Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture #79 Dynamic bronze sculpture by Doris Ann Warner (American, 1925-2010), circa 1970. This piece is twisted and folded in on itself, implying movement...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Bronze

The Blessing
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Yaacov Agam Title: The Blessing Medium: Screenprint in colors on Arches Year: 1990 Edition: 28/54 Sheet Size: 30" x 42" Image Size: 27 1/8" x 33 1/2" Signed: Hand signed and ...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Dynamic Strokes and Vibrant Blue Colors Abstract French 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition signed by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) dated 68 oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 26 x 36 inches condition: overall very good, ...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ross Bleckner Abstract Oil Painting
Located in New York, NY
Ross Bleckner (American, b. 1949) Untitled, c. 20th century Oil on board 18 x 20 in. Ross Bleckner grew up in Hewlett, Long Island, New York; drawing all the time without being aware that other artists existed. He was the middle child between two sisters; his father manufactures electronic parts He attended New York University where Sol Lewitt, Chuck Close and others were his teachers. He graduated in 1972, then spent a year at the California Institute of Arts. His contacts in the next few years were very fortuitous; Sol Lewitt and Chuck Close, Carl Andre, David Salle, Julian Schnabel, etc. Bleckner is on the nervous side, beset by self-doubt, insomnia, and gloom. He is unpretentious, although he is bluntly handsome, with olive complexion, and a compact build. He is "10 percent that is superficial and 90 percent that has to do with the depths and that is threatened by living. He is a very complicated individual. He is a very, very morose, deeply feeling, hardworking artist- he takes a lot from within himself - but always, no matter how successful he is, he feels he is going to fall into those depths." 1 Bleckner first exhibited his work in New York in 1974. The following year he was given his first one-man show; he was included in the 1975 Whitney Biennial.. Since about 1985 has addressed many of his paintings to the subject of AIDS- both documenting it as a historical phenomenon and commemorating specific individuals who have died. Written and submitted by Jean Ershler Schatz, artist and researcher from Laguna Woods, California. Bio sourced from the Archives of askArt. Sources include: Ross Bleckner's Mood Indigo...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Preliminary drawing for the sculpture Catacombs
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Preliminary drawing for the sculpture Catacombs Black crayon on paper, 1971 Signed and dated lower right (see photos) Provenance: Estate of the artist Michael and Alan Lipton (sons) ...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil Crayon

Antique American School Signed Impressionist Fishing Harbor Beach Scene Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American impressionist coastal seascape oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 22H by 18L.
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid Century Abstract Painting by Chamlin Oil Paint on Canvas
Located in San Francisco, CA
Mid-century Abstract Painting by Chamlin Oil Paint on Canvas
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Variant I /// Josef Albers Abstract Geometric Screenprint Minimalism Bauhaus Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Josef Albers (German-American, 1888-1976) Title: "Variant I" Portfolio: Ten Variants *Unsigned edition Year: 1967 Medium: Original Screenprint on Rives BFK paper Limited edit...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Spiral Rouge et Bleu - Lithograph by A. Calder - 1969
Located in Roma, IT
Color lithograph realized by Calder in 1969. Edition of 20/75. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Includes a contemporary white frame. Very good condition.
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Antique American Modernist Surreal Beach Scene Still Life Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist sunset beach scene oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 24H by 20L.
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Frank Stella, Whitney Museum exhibited graphic work with label, Signed/N, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Frank Stella (Whitney Museum Exhibited) Shards IVA (Axsom 151), 1982 Lithograph & Silkscreen on Arches Cover Paper (Whitney Museum exhibition label verso of frame) 45 1/2 × 39 1/4 in...
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Lithograph, Screen

20th Century French Geometric Abstract Composition Oil Painting Red Colours
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition signed by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French oil painting on canvas, unframed size: 29 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, Paris, France condition: overall g...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Unique Modernist Israeli Still Life Monoprint Painting Calman Shemi Vase Flowers
Located in Surfside, FL
Fruit and Flowers monoprint by Calman Shemi Calman Shemi, sculptor and painter, was born in Argentina in 1939. A graduate of the School of Sculpture and Ceramics in Mendoza, he studied under the Italian-Argentinean sculptor Libero Badii whom he credits with putting him on the right path. “He taught me principals, not only related to sculpture, but human and philosophic principals. Shemi also carefully studied the work of such masters as Pablo Picasso, Caravaggio, Frank Stella and Henri Matisse. “From each one of these great artists I learned something from observing them,” he says. In 1961, at the age of 20, Shemi immigrated to Israel and joined Kibbutz Carmia of which he was a member for twenty years. There he worked in agriculture and also as a sculptor working with wood and clay. Several of his large-scale fiberglass and polyester sculpture projects are situated in public buildings. He was a student of German-Israeli sculptor Rudi Lehmann, a pioneer of the artistic movement known as “Canaanism.” Canaanite art was an effort to create a direct relationship with the land, bypassing historic Jewish connotations—hence the land’s primordial name is used. Canaanite works, with an emphasis on the inter-action of simple shapes, bear a deliberate resemblance to the sculpture and ritual art of early civilizations of the Middle East prior to Judaism, always with an eye to the fusion of man and the land itself. Though sculpture dominated his early years as an artist, in the mid ’70s Shemi developed the idea of the “soft painting” medium. Beginning with a color drawing done to scale, Shemi layers onto the drawing irregularly shaped pieces of variously textured and colored fabrics. Using a threadless 9,000-needle sewing machine, the fabrics are meshed to one another and to the background, resulting in vibrant wool tapestry carpet compositions infused with exuberant color and explosive movement. Over the years, Shemi has continued to challenge himself with new artistic mediums, developing two more techniques of painting: “Lacquer paintings” and “window paintings.” He also works in monotype, lithograph and silkscreen techniques. He creates his Lacquer Painting by applying vibrant colors to wood or metal panel that has been gilded with gold or silver leaf, and sometimes both. After the oil paint has thoroughly dried, many layers of lacquer are applied to the surface giving it a glowing effect. Between each layer of lacquer the piece is hand-polished to give the surface its very shiny look. Shemi’s “lacquer” and “window” paintings are reminiscent of ancient techniques used centuries ago in Japan and China. Shemi concludes, “All of the art that I create is full of optimism and beauty. That’s all. Simple, very simple.” During the past eighteen years Shemi has held more than seventy one-man shows in the U.S., Japan, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Israel. His works can be seen in many public and private collections around the world. He is of a generation of contemporary Israeli artists, somewhat influenced by pop art that include Alex Pauker...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Monoprint

Plate Six from Novecento (Mixed media lithograph with chalk pastel), Signed/N
Located in New York, NY
Nam June Paik Untitled, Plate Six from Novecento, 1992 Mixed Media: Color offset lithograph with unique chalk pastel drawing 13 3/10 × 18 inches Hand signed, Edition 104/130 Pencil numbered 104/130, hand signed in pastel chalk on the front Edizioni Carte Segrete, Rome, Italy Excellent condition; held in matting which can be easily removed The matting measures 18" x 21" This was part of a series of works produced for the Nam June Paik retrospective at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, 1992, Nam June Paik: Arti Elletroniche. This is one of the editions which bears unique hand coloring with pastel chalk. A comparable work sold at auction in 2015 for US $12,583. (see details below): Nam June Paik Title Novecento Description Nam June PAI K Novecento 1930-1940, 1992 Pastel sur offset en couleurs, épreuve signée et numérotée 104/130 Edizioni Carte Segrete, Rome 23,5 x 39,5 cm EH Oeuvre réalisée a l'occasion de la rétrospective Paik au Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, 1992, Nam June Paik: Arti Elletroniche, cinema e Media Verso il XXI Secolo Medium pastel Year of Work 1992 Size Height 9.3 in.; Width 15.6 in. / Height 23.5 cm.; Width 39.5 cm. Misc. Signed Sale of Millon & Associés: Monday, June 22, 2015 [Lot 00090] Design Sold For 11,057 EUR Hammer (12,583 USD) Nam June Paik Biography Nam June Paik was born in 1932 in Seoul. He received a BA in aesthetics from the University of Tokyo in 1956 where he also studied music and art history. After graduating, he studied for a year with composer Thrasybulus Georgiades Georgiades at the University of Munich and for two years with composer Woflgang Fortner at the International Music College in Freiburg. He attended the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt in 1957, when he met Karlheinz Stockhausen, and in 1958, when he met John Cage. Cage, and through him Marcel Duchamp, had a significant influence on Paik as he became a major force in the avant-garde through performances. In Hommage à John Cage (1959), Paik employed audiotape and performance to attack traditional musical instrumentation and compositional practices, splicing together piano playing, screaming, bits of classical music, and sound effects. Realizing that taped sound was not enough, he decided to move into performance, first by introducing performative actions into his audio works. In 1961 Paik performed Simple, Zen for Head and Étude Platonique No. 3, in which he became a volatile figure, thrashing about in unexpected patterns and sudden movements to his signature soundtracks. In 1962 Paik participated in the Fluxus International Festival of the New Music in Weisbaden. Paik's first exhibition, entitled Exposition of Music - Electronic Television, in 1963 at Galerie Parnass at Wuppertal, launched his transition from composer and performance artist to the inventor of a new art form: an engagement with the material site of television as an instrument. In the exhibition, thirteen televisions lay on their backs and sides with their reception altered; for example, Zen for TV (1963) reduced the television picture to a horizontal line and Kuba TV (1963) shrank and expanded the image on the television set according to the changing volume. In 1964 Paik traveled to the US. He quickly settled in New York and became a leading innovator among an emerging generation of artists seeking new modes of artistic expression and distribution. That same year, Paik collaborated with Shuya Abe to create Robot K-456 (1964), a remote controlled robot that played audiotaped speeches by John F. Kennedy and defecated beans in Paik's Robot Opera (1964). In the interactive work Magnet TV (1965), Paik invited viewers to modify the television's output into swerving abstract lines through the movement of a magnet over the TV. In 1967 Paik and frequent collaborator Charlotte Moorman were arrested when Moorman performed Paik's Opera Sextronique (1967), a striptease as she played the cello at the Filmmakers' Cinematheque in New York. Paik's TV Bra for Living Sculpture (1969), which Moorman wore in performances, featured two television tubes...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Chalk, Offset, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Graphite, Lithograph

Untitled - Original Screen Print by Antonio Calderara - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is an original print realized by Antonio Calderara in the 1970s. Colored serigraph. Edited by La Nuova Foglio. Good conditions except for ...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Huge French 20th Century Rhythms of Color Abstract Expression Landscape Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed oil painting on canvas, unframed inscribed verso canvas size: 35 x 46 inches condition: overall very...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Great rainbow land
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1995 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 27/250 Publisher : GKM (Suède) 96.00 cm. x 76.00 cm. 37.8 in. x 29.92 in. (paper) Arches Paper Lying under an inc...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Abstract, Signed Oil on Board Painting by John F. Leonard
Located in Long Island City, NY
Abstract (57) John F. Leonard American (1921–1987) Date: 1977 Oil on Board, signed l.r. Size: 16 in. x 20 in. (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm) Frame Size: 18.5 x 22.5 inches
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Joan Miró - MARAVILLAS CON VARIACIONES... Lithograph Contemporary Art Abstract
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Maravillas con variaciones acrósticas en el jardín de Miró IV Date of creation: 1975 Medium: Lithograph on Gvarro paper Edition: 1500 Size: 49,5 x 35,5 cm Condition: In very good con...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Antique European Olive Grove Landscape Signed Impressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brightly colored impressionist landscape oil painting by William H. Partridge (1858 - 1938). Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 24H by 29L.
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Joan Miro
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Joan Miro Title: Joan Miro Medium: Lithograph in colors Date: 1974 Edition: Unnumbered Frame Size: 15 1/8" x 22 3/4" Sheet Size: 7 7/8" x 15 1/2" Signature: Signed in the pla...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Rising Tondo, circular
Located in Greenwich, CT
Ilya Bolotowsky is an important and highly recognized hard edge american abstractionist. He experimented with diamond shaped canvases and circular works as well as square formats wi...
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Abstract Landscape India Rajasthan Light Natural Mustard Earth Blue Yellow
Located in Norfolk, GB
There is a natural and raw understanding in Mukesh Sharma’s prints that depict, and are influenced by, the Rajastani communities of his home town in rura...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Linocut

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Cubist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting by Ervin B. Nussbaum (1914 - 1996). Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed. Dated 1950. Artist Bio: Ervin B. Nussbaum was born in Co...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Multicolor Abstract Expressionist with Red, Blue, & Green
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold figurative abstract by California artist Catherine Freethy (American, b. 1962). This abstract features vibrant color block shapes in blue, red, and green, with accents in yellow...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surrealist Birds - Original Lithograph Signed in the Plate - Mourlot #948
Located in Paris, IDF
Joan Miro Surrealist Birds (Sculptures), 1974 Original lithograph Printed signature in the plate On heavy paper 28 x 57 cm (c. 11 x 23 inch) REFERENCE : catalog raisonne Mourlot / ...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 10.75 x 8.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we h...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

American Abstract Expressionist Mid Century Framed Vintage Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Pure mid century abstract expressionist painting. Great colors and movement. Oil on canvas. Framed. No signature found.
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

1970's French Geometric Abstract Large Oil Painting on Canvas, signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed and dated on verso 74' oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 24.5 x 20 inches condition: ove...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Signe paysage II
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph Ed. EA Biography Olivier Debré is a French abstract painter born in Paris in 1920. He is one of the main representatives of lyrical abstraction, along with Hans Hartung, P...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted American school abstract expressionist painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed verso. Measuring 30 by 30 overall and 24 by 24 painting alone.
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Scale Mid 20th Century Acrylic Painting by Vanguard Studios by Van Gaard
Located in San Francisco, CA
Large Scale Mid 20th Century Acrylic Painting by Vanguard Studios Signed Van Gaard Classic 1950s to 1960s acrylic painting of a guitar against a colorful ab...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Masonite, Acrylic

"What's It All About" (2)
By Stephen A. Peters
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold, heavily textured abstract composition by Stephen A. Peters (American, 20th Century). Titled and signed on canvas verso. Presented in a silver frame with a black mat and glass. ...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Bianchi e Neri II (Acetates) - Plate A - By Alberto Burri - 1969
Located in Roma, IT
Bianchi e Neri II (Acetates) - Plate A  is a wonderful Contemporary artwork realized by Alberto Burri in 1969. Hand-signed in pencil on the lower right margin. Hand-numbered in pen...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Antique American Architectural Rare Abstract Expressionist Mid Century Modern
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract street scene oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Image size, 12L x 7H.
Category

1940s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Untitled" Edward Zutrau, 1963 Post-Painterly Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in New York, NY
Edward Zutrau Untitled, 1963 Signed and dated on stretcher verso "5/63" Oil on canvas 8 3/4 x 10 3/4 inches Edward Zutrau is among the American artists who worked within the whirlw...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Homage to the Square - P2, F28, I1
Located in Long Island City, NY
From the portfolio “Formulation: Articulation” created by Josef Albers in 1972. This monumental series consists of 127 original silkscreens that are a definitive survey of the artist...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

"Thelo #1" Diana Kurz, Abstract Expressionist Gestural Purples and Blues
Located in New York, NY
Diana Kurz Thelo #1 , 1961 Oil on canvas 64 x 55 1/2 inches Diana Kurz (born 1936) is an Austrian-born feminist painter. In 1938, Diana Kurz's family fled Austria, first to England...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"#191" Ethel Schwabacher, Mid-Century, Abstract Expressionist Shades of Gray
By Ethel Schwabacher
Located in New York, NY
Ethel Schwabacher #191, 1956 Initialed and dated upper left Oil on paper 7 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches Provenance The artist Private Collection, New York (acquired from the above in 1972) St...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Abstract expressionist blue, black & green mid-century geometric painting
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres (American, 1927-2013) Untitled, c. 1949 oil on canvas 18 x 32 inches Richard Andres was born in Buffalo, New York in 1927. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1950, he was immediately drafted and served for two years in the army as a mural painter. He received his Master of Arts from Kent State in 1961. A frequent exhibitor at galleries and museums and winner of multiple May Show prizes, Andres taught art in the Cleveland Public Schools for 28 years, as well as teaching the University of Buffalo, the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Western Reserve University. Very little in Richard Andres’ childhood would have predicted his love of classical music, mid-century-modern architecture and certainly not his lifelong passion for art and in particular abstract art. Richard’s father, Raymond, had no more than a third-grade education, and his mother, Clara, was one of thirteen children – only three of whom lived into adulthood and none of whom attended high school. They lived, when Richard was a boy, in a dingy area of Buffalo, NY in a walk-up apartment situated above a tavern. Raymond and Clara supplemented the income from their factory jobs in the bar downstairs with Raymond playing ragtime on the piano and Clara serving drinks. This often left Richard and his two older brothers at home alone to fend for themselves. The two older boys, Raymond and Russell, were - unlike Richard- rather rough and tumble and entertained themselves with stickball, boxing and the like. Richard, on the other hand, from a very young age liked to draw, or better yet even, to paint with the small set of watercolors he received for Christmas one year. Paper, however, at the height of the depression, was hard to come by. Luckily, Clara used paper doilies as decoration for the apartment and Richard would contentedly paint and then cut up doilies, gluing the pieces together to create collages. At eight-years-old, he discovered the Albright-Knox Museum (then known as the Albright Art Gallery) and spent several hours a week there studying the paintings. He was particularly fond of Charles Burchfield‘s landscapes, enamored with their ‘messiness’ and thinking that they somehow captured more ‘feeling’ than works he was previously familiar with. For his tenth Christmas, he asked for and received a ‘how-to’ paint book by Elliot O’Hare. Through this self-teaching, he assembled the portfolio needed for acceptance to Buffalo Technical High School where he studied Advertising Arts. In his Junior year, he was encouraged to enter a watercolor painting, “Two Barns,” in the national 1944-45 Ingersoll Art Award Contest and was one of twelve grand prize winners – each one winning one hundred dollars. More importantly the painting was exhibited at the Carnegie Institute Galleries, which resulted in his winning a national scholarship to the Cleveland School of Art (The Cleveland Art Institute). He flourished at the art school under the tutelage of faculty members such as Carl Gaertner, as well as that of visiting artists such as William Sommer and Henry George Keller. He would say in later years that Gaertner, in particular, influenced his attitude toward life as well as art. “Gaertner,” Andres said, “believed that there was no need to be a ‘tortured artist’, that an artist should rather enjoy beauty, family, and life in general.” Free to spend his days as he chose, he wandered the Cleveland Art Museum for most of the hours he was not attending classes or painting; the remaining time was spent drinking coffee at a local hangout with art school friends – which is where he met fellow Henry Keller scholarship winner, Avis Johnson. Richard was immediately smitten with Avis, but being rather shy, it took him the entire summer of 1948 to build up his courage to ask her out. Over that summer he ‘thought about Avis’ and worked in a diner to save money. He also used the hundred-dollar prize money won in High School to visit the first Max Beckmann retrospective in the United States at the City Art Museum in St. Louis. Over a half century later he spoke of that exhibit with a reverence usually reserved for spiritual matters, “I walked in and it was like nothing I had ever seen before... the color...It just glowed.” Returning to campus in the Fall, the first thing he did was go to the coffee shop in hopes of finding Avis. He did, and she, upon seeing him, realized that she was also smitten with him. They quickly became known as ‘the couple’ on campus, and a year later, with Richard being drafted for the Korean war, they were quickly married by a Justice of the Peace, celebrating after with family at Avis’s Cleveland home. As a gift, faculty member John Paul Miller designed and made the simple gold wedding ring Avis wore for their 65 years of marriage. During those 65 years neither wavered in their mutual love, nor in the respect they shared for one another’s art. The couple lived in a converted chicken coop in Missouri while Richard was in boot camp. At the camp, he would volunteer for any job offered and one of those jobs ended up being painting road signs. His commander noticed how quickly and neatly he worked and gave him more painting work to do - eventually recommending him for a position painting murals for Army offices in Panama. Until her dying day, Avis remained angry that “The army got to keep those fabulous murals and they probably didn’t even know how wonderful they were.” In Panama, their first son, Mark, was born. After Richard’s discharge in 1953, they moved back to the Cleveland area and used the GI bill to attend Kent State gaining his BA in education. The small family then moved briefly to Buffalo, where Richard taught at the Albright Art School and the University of Buffalo – and their second son, Peter, was born. Richard had exhibited work in the Cleveland May Show and the Butler Art Museum during his art school years, and during the years in Buffalo, his work was exhibited at the gallery he had so loved as a child, the Albright Art Gallery. In 1956, the family moved back to the Cleveland area and Richard began teaching art at Lincoln West High School during the day while working toward his MA in art at Kent State in the evenings. Avis and Richard, with the help of an architect, designed their first home - a saltbox style house in Hudson, Ohio, and in 1958, their third son, Max (after Max Beckmann) was born. Richard enjoyed the consistency of teaching high school as well as the time it gave him to paint on the weekends and during the summer months. In 1961, he received his MA and his daughter, Claire, was born. With a fourth child, the house was much too small, and Avis and Richard began designing their second home. An admirer of MCM architecture, Richard’s favorite example of the style was the Farnsworth house – he often spoke of how the concepts behind this architectural style, particularly that of Mies van der Rohe, influenced his painting. Andres described himself as a 1950’s...
Category

1940s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Large Abstract Expressionist Lithograph by Louisa Chase
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Louisa Chase, American (1951 - 2016) Title: Untitled (Spooks) Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 30 Paper Size: 30 x 44.5 Inches (76.2 x 1...
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Crossed Arms" Mid Century Abstract Expressionist NYC Female Artist
Located in Arp, TX
Sylvia Rutkoff (1919-2011) Sr5-1 c.1960s “Crossed Arms” Acrylic on Masonite 36x42 period frame Unsigned Collection acquired from family estate
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

'Large Abstract', San Francisco Bay Area, North Beach, Beat, Beatnik, Big Sur
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'K. Sanzenbach' for Keith Sanzenbach (American, 1931-1964) and dated 1956. Additionally signed, verso, and with the artist's Lagunitas, California address. The ...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil, Gouache

Untitled (Abstract Expressionist)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Murray Hantman (1904-1999). Untitled, ca. 1950-55. Oil on canvas measures 20 x 26 inches, 26 x 32 inches in silver leaf vintage frame.. Signed lower right. Excellent condition with ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Village in Provence', Large French Geometric Abstract Oil, Palo Alto Gallery
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right 'S. Aron' (French, 20th century) and dated 1970; additionally signed, verso, on canvas with old label verso. Provenance: Los Robles Gallery, Palo Alto, California.
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Spanish Post Modern Abstract Aquatint Color Etching Antoni Tapies
Located in Surfside, FL
Antoni Tapies (Spanish, 1923-2012) Color Etching, aquatint and polychrome carborundum print Estisores-2, c. 1979 Hand signed and numbered 31/75 in pencil in the lower margin, publi...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Howard Hodgkin hand-colored Early Evening in the Museum of Modern Art
Located in New York, NY
Large scale black and white abstract interior scene with dots, lines, brushstrokes, and hand painting in grey, to hang in contemporary, modern and minimalist spaces. While British pop artists such as David Hockney and Patrick Caulfield numbered amongst Howard Hodgkin's circle of friends, Hodgkin's work is painterly, emotional, expressionist, and abstract. Early Evening in the Museum of Modern Art, by Howard Hodgkin. Signed by the artist, numbered, and dated 79 lower center in red crayon. Soft-ground etching printed from the same plate as 'Late Afternoon in the Museum of Modern Art', with hand coloring in black gouache on Grey BFK Rives mould-made paper. This print depicts an abstracted scene, perhaps a sculpture in front of a window in the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, in Hodgkin's signature painterly style. The expressive mark-making in this print is an example of the artist’s movement in the late 70s towards pronounced gestures. Wide areas of deep black pigment contrast urgent swipes of ink. Always seeking greater richness in his prints, Hodgkin layered ink and hand coloring in this print, rendering each impression in the edition unique. Part of a series of four prints reflecting on a visit to...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Gouache, Etching

The Night - Etching by Jean Fautrier - Mid-20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
The Night is original etching realized by Jean Fautrier. Hand-signed on the lower right in pencil. Numbered on the lower left, edition of 22/50 prints. This formidable print repre...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Etching

Blue n.18 - Acrylic by Gastone Biggi - 1974
Located in Roma, IT
Blue n.18 is an original contemporary artwork realized by Gastone Biggi in 1974. Mixed colored acrylic painting on canvas Hand signed, titled and dated...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Ellsworth Kelly: Ferus Gallery (Gate) Poster /// Abstract Geometric Minimalism
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: (after) Ellsworth Kelly (American, 1923-2015) Title: "Ellsworth Kelly: Ferus Gallery (Gate)" Year: 1966 Medium: Original Lithograph, Exhibition Poster on cream wove paper Lim...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Original 1970's French Abstract Ink Painting Black and White
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: Claude Lagouche (French 1943-2020) Claude Lagouche was born January 2, 1943 in Naves, died January 16, 2020. He quickly gained recognition for his talent and his work, exh...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Ink

Mid Century Abstracted Figurative -- Downtown Couple Art Exhibit
Located in Soquel, CA
Vibrant mid century modern abstracted figurative in orange, red and black by Bay Area artist Paul Sheppard. Dated 1959 and signed "Sheppard." Presented i...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

No title
By Constant (Constant Anton Nieuwenhuijs)
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1953 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 27/100 Printer : Jean Pons (Paris) LCD5351
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Seated Figure (Abstract Woman Collage).
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Sam Maitin (1928-2004). Seated Figure, ca. 1970. Charcoal, gouache and decorative paper collage. Measuring 15.5 x 20.5 inches; 22.75 x 27.75 inches framed. Signed lower left. Excellent condition. Period frame original to the piece in mahogany with natural wood grain on sides and 22k gold leaf gilt face. After graduating from Simon Gratz High School, Maitin won a scholarship to the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art (now the University of the Arts). A painter, printmaker, sculptor, muralist, graphic designer, political activist, and beloved teacher, Maitin headed the Visual Graphics Communication Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication from 1965–1972 and served on the board of Woodmere Art Museum from 1995–2004. He received a number of awards, including a 1968 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. He created murals and other public art for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry, the Please Touch Museum, and Hahnemann University Hospital, among others. Maitin's work is museum collections in the United States and Europe, including (but not limited to): Philadelphia Museum of Art Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Museum of Modern Art, New York Tate Gallery, London Bauersche Geisserie, Germany Oakland Museum, California Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Currier Gallery of Art...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Gouache

American School Modernist Large Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist signed abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Image size, 36L x 36H.
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Mid Century Modern Geometric Abstract Oil Painting - Modernist Mosaic
Located in Bristol, GB
MODERNIST MOSAIC Size: 35.5 x 43.5 cm (including frame) Oil on board An excellent and striking mid-century modernist style geometric abstract composition thats celebrates form and c...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Abstract Photograph Post USSR Russian Avant Garde Solarized Photo Non Conformist
By Valentin Samarine
Located in Surfside, FL
Valentin Samarine started doing abstract painting in the 60s, and abstract photography in the 70s. He moved fairly easily from one to the other. It is in a perfectly logical sense: ...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

#135 (Abstract Expressionist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Douglas M. Olsen (b. 1960). #135, 1982. Watercolor on rag paper, 22 x 30 inches. Signed lower margin and on verso.
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Watercolor, Rag Paper

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.

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