Gertrude Goldschmidt

Karolina Maszkiewicz is a Polish American sculptor, illustrator and designer. Maszkiewicz's diverse sculpture work incorporates both kinetic art and large floral installations. Her work pays homage to female artists of the 20th century such as Niki de Saint Phalle, Gertrude Goldschmidt (Gego) and Eva Hess and also calls attention to certain issues in her adopted home of Los Angeles, such as the current extreme drought. Born and raised in Torun, Poland, Maszkiewicz moved to LA to study design. As an LA fashion veteran, she has worked for several fashion brands as well as curated her retail store. Maszkiewicz transitioned into being a sculptor after joining the studio of Brad Howe, an American artist based in Malibu. While working alongside Brad, Maszkiewicz developed her own body of work, which she has recently begun to show.

If you’re thinking about decorating your space with abstract sculpture, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

You don’t have to look for a piece that demands attention. Find a work of abstract sculpture that speaks to you. As is the case with any abstract art, whether it’s sculpture, an abstract painting or a grouping of prints, you can select a work for your living room or dining room, for example, that will either casually fade into the background or serve as a focal point. When you’re thinking about how to arrange your furniture and decor, consider color, texture and what kind of energy you’d like a specific room or corner to evoke. Abstract sculpture can go a long way in elevating a home, and its history is interesting if you’re shopping for a new piece today.

As a pioneer in naturalistic forms and figures that vividly express emotion, Auguste Rodin is often called the father of modern sculpture. His work in the 19th and early 20th century broke with artistic conventions and inspired modernism, leading to a new period of avant-garde abstraction.

Among the first artists to push abstract sculpture into the mainstream were Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. They helped define the movement of Cubism, which focused on deconstructing the world abstractly.

Later in the 20th century, the artistic movements of Italian Futurism, Dadaism, Neo-Dadaism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and minimalism all contributed to the advancement of new and more abstract sculpture designs. Italian Futurism, for example, celebrated movement, dynamics and technology in abstract sculpture. These movements passed down ideas that continue to inform abstract sculpture today.

Browse a range of modern abstract sculptures, postmodern abstract sculptures and other kinds of sculpture on 1stDibs.