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Abstract Abstract Photography

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
Ramunės - abstract analogue black and white floral photography, Ltd. 20
Ramunės - abstract analogue black and white floral photography, Ltd. 20

Ugne PouwellRamunės - abstract analogue black and white floral photography, Ltd. 20, 2022

$478

Ramunės - abstract analogue black and white floral photography, Ltd. 20

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Ramunės' London, United Kingdom 2022 Limited edition of 20. Photograph printed on heavyweight fine art paper. Photograph is shipped fast and flat in secure thick cardboard packa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Film, Photographic Film, Giclée

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

Birgit BlythGrid. No 6 (Contemporary Framed Gestural Lattice Motif Painting in Neutral tone), 2009

$1,800Sale Price|50% Off

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 Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Monoprint

Tones. From The Lavori in Corso series
Tones. From The Lavori in Corso series

Eduardo RezendeTones. From The Lavori in Corso series, 2024

$4,000

Tones. From The Lavori in Corso series

By Eduardo Rezende

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Eduardo Rezende’s 2024 series Lavori in Corso revisits one of the artist’s most enduring themes: the urban and architectural landscape — this time focused on construction sites, scaf...

Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Canvas, Archival Pigment

Delphinium, 2018 - Abstract Geometric Floral Print Wall Decoration Interior

Giles RevellDelphinium, 2018 - Abstract Geometric Floral Print Wall Decoration Interior, 2018

$1,230

Delphinium, 2018 - Abstract Geometric Floral Print Wall Decoration Interior

By Giles Revell

Located in Brighton, GB

Delphinium by Giles Revell This is an Archival Pigment Print available in this size of 50cm x 50cm in a limited edition of 25 prints In Cartographic Colour, Giles Revell reduces th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Pigment

Wave III, Unique Monotype Cyanotype, Horizontal Diptych of
Wave III, Unique Monotype Cyanotype, Horizontal Diptych of

Kind of CyanWave III, Unique Monotype Cyanotype, Horizontal Diptych of, 2025

$820

Wave III, Unique Monotype Cyanotype, Horizontal Diptych of

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

Wave III, is an exclusive handmade cyanotype horizontal diptych that captures the gentle curl of an organic mid-motion wave. Rendered in deep Prussian blues and ethereal whites, the...

Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Monotype

Lily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph
Lily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph

Ugne PouwellLily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph, 2023

$1,360

Lily in Charcoal No.2 - Limited Edition of 10 Abstract Expressionist Photograph

By Ugne Pouwell

Located in London, GB

'Lily in Charcoal no.2' 2023 From raw energy to sublime. 'Lily in Charcoal No.2' is an expression piece combining an abstract charcoal drawing with a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Paper, Photographic Film, Charcoal, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Levels. From The Lavori in Corso series
Levels. From The Lavori in Corso series

Eduardo RezendeLevels. From The Lavori in Corso series, 2025

$3,400

Levels. From The Lavori in Corso series

By Eduardo Rezende

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Eduardo Rezende’s 2024 series Lavori in Corso revisits one of the artist’s most enduring themes: the urban and architectural landscape — this time focused on construction sites, scaf...

Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Canvas

Anesthesia - underwater photograph - series REFLECTIONS - archival print 35x52"
Anesthesia - underwater photograph - series REFLECTIONS - archival print 35x52"

Alex SherAnesthesia - underwater photograph - series REFLECTIONS - archival print 35x52", 2018

$1,200

Anesthesia - underwater photograph - series REFLECTIONS - archival print 35x52"

By Alex Sher

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

Lost in a sea of rich saturation of dark and light blue colors, a feminine form gracefully traverses the expanse of the water. Alex Sher’s “Anesthesia” invites us into an abstracted ...

Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Archival Paper

Crosshatch
Crosshatch

Christopher Kennedy (Photo Luminism)Crosshatch, 2014

$880Sale Price|20% Off

Crosshatch

Located in Plano, TX

" "Crosshatch" is a classic example of my abstract PhotoLuminism technique. When light travels, the human eye cannot see its trails, but the camera can. Capturing images that are int...

Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Black and White

The Streets of Kowloon (gold), Hong Kong - Abstract color photography
The Streets of Kowloon (gold), Hong Kong - Abstract color photography

Richard HeepsThe Streets of Kowloon (gold), Hong Kong - Abstract color photography, 2016

$957

The Streets of Kowloon (gold), Hong Kong - Abstract color photography

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

Streets of Kowloon Gold, part of Richard Heeps series photographing on the streets of Hong Kong in Kowloon in 2016 this stunning abstract piece is so striking in a room. The whole 20...

Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Abstract abstract photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract abstract photography 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 abstract photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, purple, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Mitchell Funk, Paul Snell, Seb Janiak, and Michael Banks. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Pigment Print 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 abstract photography, so small editions measuring 2.38 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $105 and tops out at $36,000, while the average work sells for $3,580.

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