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Chris Vance

Starry Night Vibe Acrylic on Panel Painting 2022
Located in Des Moines, IA
Chris Vance has been intrigued during the pandemic years by the chaos and calm that coexist. Dual
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Waves Acrylic on Panel Painting 2022
Located in Des Moines, IA
Chris Vance has been intrigued during the pandemic years by the chaos and calm that coexist. Dual
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Marlboro II (Photo-Realist Pop Art Still Life Painting of a Red Cigarette Pack)
By Scott Nelson Foster
Located in Hudson, NY
Tyler Vance and Christopher T. Terry) (Curated by Noel Carmack, Associate Professor of Art and Gallery
Category

2010s Pop Art Still-life Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Watercolor

People Also Browsed

Gee & Holmes 1960s Sterling Silver Canteen of Cutlery for Six Persons
By Gee & Holmes
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive vintage Elizabeth II English sterling silver straight Old English feather edge pattern canteen of cutlery for six persons; an addition to our anti...
Category

20th Century English Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

Shes Watching Mixed Media Painting Collage Wall Construction FIgural Abstraction
By Francie Bishop Good
Located in Surfside, FL
"She's Watching" Mixed media collage, assemblage, gestural painting on masonite. Hand Signed in ink and titled verso. It does not appear to be dated. I am estimating it is from the 1...
Category

1980s Post-Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil

Original Vintage War Poster British Short Sunderland Flying Boat WWII RAF Navy
By Roland Davies
Located in London, GB
Original vintage World War Two poster - A British Short Sunderland Flying Boat patrolling the sea lanes - featuring an illustration of an RAF Royal Air Force bomber plane flying abov...
Category

Vintage 1940s British Posters

Materials

Paper

Antique Chinese Ming Porcelain Floral Plate Rare Design Marked Base, 17th Cen
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
The dish has rounded sides moulded with waved panels and lobed rims. The dish is painted with a central roundel of a spray of peony enclosed by a reserve-decorated border showing two...
Category

Antique 17th Century Chinese Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

Sunderland Flying Boat R.A.A.F. Attacking Italian U Boat
By Roland Davies
Located in New York, NY
Original monochrome gouache illustration for the Sphere No. 2215. London, July 4, 1942.
Category

1940s Realist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Nautical Log in Its Wooden Box to Measure Boats Speed Walker Early 1900s
Located in Milan, IT
Log of brass signed Walker’s Excelsior IV Patent Log, For Yacht, Motor Launches and Fishing Craft from the early 1900s. It is an ancient nautical instrument, which measured the dist...
Category

Early 20th Century British Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

19th Century T Walker’s Patent Harpoon Ship Log a 1 London Antique Maritime Tool
Located in Milan, IT
Brass log in the shape of a harpoon, signed T. Walker’s Patent Harpoon Ship Log A 1 London, from the second half of the 19th century. It is an ancient nautical instrument, very rare ...
Category

Antique 1860s Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

What Endures (Colorful Abstract Mixed Media Painting in Blue, Multi-Color)
Located in Hudson, NY
Brightly colored abstract mixed media painting with a gradient grey-blue background and multi-color detail "What Endures" by Hudson Valley based artist, Gina Occhiogrosso, made in 20...
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Muslin

Blue Wave, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
By Lee Passarella
Located in Yardley, PA
Blue Wave is acrylic on heavy watercolor paper mounted to a birch panel. It is a very expressive painting with large strokes and marks and drips of color. The sides of the panel are ...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Shes Watching Mixed Media Painting Collage Wall Construction FIgural Abstraction
By Francie Bishop Good
Located in Surfside, FL
"She's Watching" Mixed media collage, assemblage, gestural painting on masonite. Hand Signed in ink and titled verso. It does not appear to be dated. I am estimating it is from the 1...
Category

1990s Post-Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil

Grand Tour Landscapes, 19th Century Signed Travel Watercolour
Located in London, GB
Watercolour on paper, each signed, entitled and dated '1873' on mount Image size: 8 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches (21 x 14 cm) Period frames £330 each Please note that there is a slight variat...
Category

1870s English School Landscape Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Waves Thrill, Painting, Acrylic on MDF Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Original Mixed Media ocean painting Unique ocean painting with white sand beach and frothy splashing waves, inspired by The Turks And Caicos Islands Different shades of blue, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Japanese Two Panel Screen: Waves on Gold
Located in Hudson, NY
Ink on gold leaf with a silk brocade border. Signature reads: Nakajima Raishou (1796-1872). Student of Maruyama Okyo (one of Japan's most famous artists).
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Japanese Paintings and Screens

Materials

Brocade, Silk, Paper

Original Vintage War Poster British Short Sunderland Flying Boat WWII RAF Navy
By Roland Davies
Located in London, GB
Original vintage World War Two poster - A British Short Sunderland Flying Boat patrolling the sea lanes - featuring an illustration of an RAF Royal Air Force bomber plane flying abov...
Category

1940s More Prints

Materials

Paper

Toys (Photo-Realist Watercolor Pop Art Painting of Colorful Wood Child's Blocks)
By Scott Nelson Foster
Located in Hudson, NY
Photo-realist watercolor painting on paper of colorful wooden children's blocks in bright hues of rose pink, golden orange, and blue "Toys" painted by Scott Nelson Foster in 2020 13"...
Category

2010s Pop Art Still-life Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Her Grandson, Mixed Media Painting Collage Wall Construction FIgural Abstraction
By Francie Bishop Good
Located in Surfside, FL
"Lady Looking at Brian (Her Grandson)" Mixed media collage, assemblage, gestural painting on masonite. Hand Signed in ink and titled verso. It does not appear to be dated. I am estim...
Category

1980s Post-Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil

Recent Sales

Jerry Said (Figurative Painting Panel Bright Colors on Skateboard Deck)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Smoking In The Tin Can" by Chris Vance Figurative Painting on Skateboard Deck with Bright Colors
Category

2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Smoking in Can (Figurative Painting Panel Bright Colors on Skateboard Deck)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Smoking In The Tin Can" by Chris Vance Figurative Painting on Skateboard Deck with Bright Colors
Category

2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Two Sides (Figurative Painting Panel Bright Colors on Skateboard Deck)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Two Sides To A Teenager" by Chris Vance Figurative Painting on Skateboard Deck with Bright Colors
Category

2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Mr. Lee to Earl (Figurative Painting Panel Bright Colors on Skateboard Deck)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Mr. Lee to Earl" by Chris Vance Figurative Painting on Skateboard Deck with Bright Colors Organic
Category

2010s Street Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Fire Unic (Figurative Painting Panel Bright Colors on Skateboard Deck)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Fire Unicorn of Darkness" by Chris Vance Figurative Painting on Skateboard Deck with Bright Colors
Category

2010s Street Art Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

Animals (Character Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Animals (Character Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Teals of Fury (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Animals (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Space and Split (Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors with Organic Shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Space and Split" by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes Landscape
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

The Chase (Horizontal Abstract Painting Panel Bright Colors with Organic Shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"The Chase" by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes Landscape Cradle
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Mixed Media

Cooped (Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors with Organic Shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Ocean Park" by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes Landscape
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Mixed Media

Undiscovered (Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes Landscape
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Undiscovered" by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes Landscape
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

The Inner Atmosphere (Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shape)
Located in Des Moines, IA
A Look Back To Forward by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Mixed Media

A Look Back To Forward (Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shape)
Located in Des Moines, IA
A Look Back To Forward by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Mixed Media

Can't Go for That (Abstract painting on panel w/ bright colors geometric shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Can't Go for That by Chris Vance is an abstract painting on panel w/ bright colors geometric shapes
Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

Primer Grey II (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Primer Grey II (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

On the Open Road (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
On the Open Road (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Free Falling (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Free Falling (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Primer Grey I (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Primer Grey I (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper, Spray Paint

White Out (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
White Out (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

High Lunch Box (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
High Lunch Box (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors, Framed) by Chris Vance - Geometric
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Randall Pink Floyd (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Randall Pink Floyd (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Vibes from Ocean Park (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
The Smokey Attic (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

The Smokey Attic (Abstract Painting on Canvas with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
The Smokey Attic (Abstract Painting on Canvas with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Personal Practice (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Personal Practice (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Wish You Were Here (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Wish You Were Here (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors, Framed) by Chris Vance
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Vase Still Life (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Vase Still Life (Abstract Painting on Panel with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Building on Stacy (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Building on Stacy (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors, Framed) by Chris Vance
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper, Spray Paint

The Look In (Abstract painting on panel w/ off-whites and geometric shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
The Look In by Chris Vance is an abstract painting on wood panel w/ off whites, subdued layers of
Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

Decade (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Decade (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Bleeds Into Night (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Bleeds Into Night (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Busted Half Pipe (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Busted Half Pipe (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Jay (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
No Returns (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

No Returns (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
No Returns (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Mr. Anderson (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Mr. Anderson (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Confessing (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Confessing (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Space Rap II (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Space Rap II (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Space Rap (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Space Rap (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Pull the Rug (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Pull the Rug (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric and organic
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Upstairs in the Garage II (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Upstairs in the Garage I (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Upstairs in the Garage I (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Upstairs in the Garage I (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Stickers on a Hippie Van (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Stickers on a Hippie Van (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Upside Down Tic Toc Clocks (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Upside Down Tic Toc Clocks (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Nightfall (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
Stickers on a Hippie Van (Abstract Painting on Paper with Bright Colors) by Chris Vance - Geometric
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

As The World Turns (Abstract painting on panel with bright color squares)
Located in Des Moines, IA
As The World Turns (Abstract painting on panel with bright color squares) 54" x 54" Chris Vance
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

Big Gulp (Abstract painting on paper with bright colored geometric shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
information and images. Chris Vance is best known for his vibrant exterior wall murals throughout the metro
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Watching Over (Abstract painting on paper with bright colored graffiti shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
ships. Chris Vance is available for site-specific commissioned artworks of any scale. Message us for
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper, Spray Paint

Blue Haze (Abstract painting on paper with bright colored graffiti shapes)
Located in Des Moines, IA
charge. Chris Vance is available for site-specific commissioned artworks of any scale. Message us for
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper

A Look Back to Nature Acrylic on panel painting 2022
Located in Des Moines, IA
Chris Vance has been intrigued during the pandemic years by the chaos and calm that coexist. Dual
Category

2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Marlboro III (Photo-Realist Pop Art Still Life Painting of a Red Cigarette Pack)
By Scott Nelson Foster
Located in Hudson, NY
Tyler Vance and Christopher T. Terry) (Curated by Noel Carmack, Associate Professor of Art and Gallery
Category

2010s Pop Art Still-life Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Lamp Table, by Alameda craftsman Chris Vance
Located in Los Angeles, CA
meticulous craftsmanship in every aspect of this lamp table. All the metal work is also fabricated by hand, by the artist. Natural slab of redwood, with post modern drawer and oak ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Night Stands

Materials

Copper, Brass

Cooped (Figurative Painting on Panel Bright Colors)
Located in Des Moines, IA
"Cooped" by Chris Vance Abstract Painting on Panel Bright Colors Organic Shapes Landscape Cradle
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Wood Panel

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A Close Look at abstract Art

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.

Finding the Right abstract-paintings for You

Bring audacious experiments with color and textures to your living room, dining room or home office. Abstract paintings, large or small, will stand out in your space, encouraging conversation and introducing a museum-like atmosphere that’s welcoming and conducive to creating memorable gatherings.

Abstract art has origins in 19th-century Europe, but it came into its own as a significant movement during the 20th century. Early practitioners of abstraction included Wassily Kandinsky, although painters were exploring nonfigurative art prior to the influential Russian artist’s efforts, which were inspired by music and religion. Abstract painters endeavored to create works that didn’t focus on the outside world’s conventional subjects, and even when artists depicted realistic subjects, they worked in an abstract mode to do so.

In 1940s-era New York City, a group of painters working in the abstract mode created radical work that looked to European avant-garde artists as well as to the art of ancient cultures, prioritizing improvisation, immediacy and direct personal expression. While they were never formally affiliated with one another, we know them today as Abstract Expressionists.

The male contingent of the Abstract Expressionists, which includes Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell, is frequently cited in discussing leading figures of this internationally influential postwar art movement. However, the women of Abstract Expressionism, such as Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell and others, were equally involved in the art world of the time. Sexism, family obligations and societal pressures contributed to a long history of their being overlooked, but the female Abstract Expressionists experimented vigorously, developed their own style and produced significant bodies of work.

Draw your guests into abstract oil paintings across different eras and countries of origin. On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive range of abstract paintings along with a guide on how to arrange your wonderful new wall art.

If you’re working with a small living space, a colorful, oversize work can create depth in a given room, but there isn’t any need to overwhelm your interior with a sprawling pièce de résistance. Colorful abstractions of any size can pop against a white wall in your living room, but if you’re working with a colored backdrop, you may wish to stick to colors that complement the decor that is already in the space. Alternatively, let your painting make a statement on its own, regardless of its surroundings, or group it, gallery-style, with other works.