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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
Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame
Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame

Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American modernist painting. Gouache on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 20 by 15 inches overall. Handsomely framed in an antique Italian frame. Excellent condition, read...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Gouache, Board

Mark TOBEY : Spring Garden, Original signed screenprint
Mark TOBEY : Spring Garden, Original signed screenprint

Mark TOBEY : Spring Garden, Original signed screenprint

By Mark Tobey

Located in Paris, IDF

Mark TOBEY (1890-1976) Spring Garden, 1976 Original color screenprint Signed with the artist's stamp Numbered / 77 copies On Auvergne vellum 64.5 x 50.5 cm INFORMATION: Authenticat...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Composition, Float Series, Dale Chihuly
Composition, Float Series, Dale Chihuly

Composition, Float Series, Dale Chihuly

By Dale Chihuly

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Composition, Float Series Year: 2017 Medium: Silkscreen and acrylic on Waterford paper Edition: 18/110 Size: 37 x 25 inches Inscription: Signed and...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Screen

Mid Century Modern Brutalist Welded Expressionist Sculpture After Paul Evans
Mid Century Modern Brutalist Welded Expressionist Sculpture After Paul Evans

Mid Century Modern Brutalist Welded Expressionist Sculpture After Paul Evans

Located in Surfside, FL

In this bronze sculpture the artist (unknown) has welded together a group of totems or monuments into a unified piece. T Neo-Dada Abstract Sculpture: Assemblages In contrast, abstra...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Metal

ID No. 13 The Startled. Limited edition photograph
ID No. 13 The Startled. Limited edition photograph

ID No. 13 The Startled. Limited edition photograph

By Dubravka Lazic

Located in Miami Beach, FL

In this early photographic series, Dubravka Lazić turns her lens toward a subject rarely treated with such a quiet dignity: domestic cats. Shot in 2005, these portraits mimic the fo...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Ruz   Gray and Black Diptych  Very Big  original abstract canvas  acrylic
Ruz   Gray and Black Diptych  Very Big  original abstract canvas  acrylic

Ruz Gray and Black Diptych Very Big original abstract canvas acrylic

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

El brote- original abstract canvas diptic acrylic painting. virtual frame , Rafael (Barcelona 1956) While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to talk about real ‘psyc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

Located in New York, NY

Artist Unidentified /Unknown, "Untitled" Edition 79 /100, 19.75 x 25.50, Late 20th Century Colors: Purple, Blue, Brown, Yellow, Turquoise, Pink Note* Unidentified Artist s...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel
Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel

Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel

By Allyson Levy

Located in Hudson, NY

Abstract painting with green encaustic and light yellow flower petals on wood panel "Wallpaper 2" made by Allyson Levy in 2020 encaustic and flower petals on wood panel, 24 x 24 x 2 ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel, Pigment

So British Oil Painting of Bulldog on Mini Car, Signed, 60x60 cm
So British Oil Painting of Bulldog on Mini Car, Signed, 60x60 cm

So British Oil Painting of Bulldog on Mini Car, Signed, 60x60 cm

By Fabriano

Located in London, Chelsea

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. "So British" by Fabriano is a delightful portrayal of quintesse...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Blue White Sails Wind
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Blue White Sails Wind

Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Blue White Sails Wind

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Composition of Blue/ White Sailing Boats in the Wind signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 45.5 x 35 inches condition: the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tuxedo Black
Tuxedo Black

Tuxedo Black

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Tuxedo Black" is an original color serigraph on black paper by American artist Fermin Landin Hernandez, 1949-2015. It is hand signed, titled and numbered 1/65 in...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

White Harmony. Diptych, abstraction.
White Harmony. Diptych, abstraction.

White Harmony. Diptych, abstraction.

By Svetlana Saratova

Located in Zofingen, AG

This diptych is created within the language of minimalism, exploring geometry, rhythm, and the material presence of the surface. Both works are made on canvas using modeling paste, c...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Paste, Canvas

Ethereal Abstraction 32, Abstract Painting
Ethereal Abstraction 32, Abstract Painting

Ethereal Abstraction 32, Abstract Painting

By Patrick O'Boyle

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Part of artist Patrick O'Boyle's ongoing Ethereal Abstraction series. He demonstrates an abstract expression of vivid colors. "I paint standing up with the pa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Eroica A.P. 1 - smooth, polished, abstract, contemporary, bronze sculpture
Eroica A.P. 1 - smooth, polished, abstract, contemporary, bronze sculpture

Eroica A.P. 1 - smooth, polished, abstract, contemporary, bronze sculpture

By David Chamberlain

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This modern bronze sculpture was inspired by music and made by David Chamberlain. As graceful as a dancer’s form, this contemporary bronze sculpture in a striking deep turquoise patina is by David Chamberlain. Created from one luminous piece the lustre accentuates the spiralling form and reflects light. Chamberlain’s sculptures...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Metal, Bronze

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

In the Bag
In the Bag

In the Bag

By Aaron Wexler

Located in New York, NY

Aaron Wexler received his B.F.A. in painting from Tyler School of Art - Philadelphia, PA. & M.F.A in painting from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally - including Josée Bienvenu Gallery, Pavel Zoubok Gallery, Morgan Lehman Gallery, The National Academy Museum, The Katonah Museum of Art, among many others. Works have been acquired by numerous collections such as The Saatchi Collection, The West Collection, Fidelity Investments Art...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Pedro Friedeberg "Schloss Struwwelpeter" Silkscreen
Pedro Friedeberg "Schloss Struwwelpeter" Silkscreen

Pedro Friedeberg "Schloss Struwwelpeter" Silkscreen

By Pedro Friedeberg

Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México

-Pedro Friedeberg signed print featuring a fantastical architectural scene inspired by “Struwwelpeter.” includes whimsical figures, optical art elements, and surreal details. framed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Giclée

Maurice Vagh Weinmann Floral Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting Framed
Maurice Vagh Weinmann Floral Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting Framed

Maurice Vagh Weinmann Floral Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting Framed

By Maurice Vagh-Weinmann

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title Maurice Vagh Weinmann Floral Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting Framed Key Details Artist: Maurice Vagh Weinmann, Hungarian, 1899–1986 Title: Summer Bouquet Medium: Oil painting o...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions
Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions

Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions

By Christian Stoll

Located in San Francisco, CA

From Christian Stoll's body of works BURST (2015), an abstract exploration of high speed photographs capturing mesmerizing explosions of caleidoscopic color 27 x 40 inches (68 x 102...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée

Lake Dream, Abstract Oil Painting
Lake Dream, Abstract Oil Painting

Lake Dream, Abstract Oil Painting

By Lisa Crosby

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A tranquil lake stretches across the foreground, painted in deep teal, green, and blue tones that ripple with soft movement. Above the water, warm landforms ris...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

"Exist"
"Exist"

"Exist"

By Iryna Rets

Located in Zofingen, AG

“Exist” 2026 Series “From Simple to…” This work addresses simple things that lie in the basic settings of life. Repetitive, almost unnoticed actions that over time create a sense of ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Moon Flower Potted Plant - Lively Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper
Moon Flower Potted Plant - Lively Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper

Moon Flower Potted Plant - Lively Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper

By Krisanne Souter

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

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

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.