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John Van Alstine - Wreathe III
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Wreathe III, John Van Alstine.
This sculpture will be shipped directly from the artist's studio.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Steel
John Van Alstine - Blue Ara, Sculpture 2018
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
RECLINING FIGURE, John Van Alstine.
This sculpture will be shipped directly from the artist's
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Steel
John Van Alstine - Column XIV (Pointer), Photography 2002
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Column XIV (Pointer), John Van Alstine.
This sculpture will be shipped directly from the artist's
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Steel, Iron
H 78 in W 23 in D 21 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Holiday Portals and Passages
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sisyphean Holiday Portals and Passages, John Van Alstine.
This sculpture will be shipped directly
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel
H 152.4 in W 151.2 in D 48 in
John Van Alstine - Column XII (Strange Fruit), Sculpture 1999
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Column XII (Strange Fruit), John Van Alstine.
This sculpture will be shipped directly from the
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze
H 65 in W 12 in D 8 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle 15-III, Photography 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sisyphean Circle 15-III, John Van Alstine.
This sculpture will be shipped directly from the
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
H 84 in W 76 in D 22 in
John Van Alstine - Crossover, Sculpture 1990
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Crossover, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze
John Van Alstine - Hula V, Sculpture 2017
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Hula V, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle XXV, Sculpture 2007
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sisyphean Circle XXV, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
H 78 in W 82 in D 24 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle LXIV, Photography 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sisyphean Circle LXIV by John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate
H 65 in W 64 in D 16 in
John Van Alstine - Column 7-16, Sculpture 2016
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Column 7-16, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Steel
John Van Alstine - Cornucopia With Columns, Sculpture 1998
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Cornucopia With Columns, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Concrete, Steel, Iron
H 138 in W 78 in D 42 in
John Van Alstine - Round Mountain Landscape, Sculpture 2001
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Round Mountain Landscape, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Steel
H 63 in W 104 in D 30 in
John Van Alstine - Sidewinder
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Pique A Terre VIII, Photography 1999
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Pique A Terre VIII, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze
H 41 in W 59 in D 31 in
John Van Alstine - Saxum Velum / Fully Freighted, Photography 1996
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Saxum Velum / Fully Freighted, John Van Alstine
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze
H 92 in W 46 in D 38 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle (Diagonally Down), Sculpture 2013
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sisyphean Circle (Diagonally Down), John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
H 57 in W 54 in D 12 in
John Van Alstine - Charon's Steel Styx Passage, Sculpture 1996
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Charon's Steel Styx Passage, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze, Steel
H 210 in W 240 in D 84 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle 8-14-17, Photography 2017
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Sisyphean Circle 8-14-17, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Steel
H 49 in W 53 in D 16 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Holiday 35 (Speckled Stone), Sculpture 2017
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
central to the work and an important characteristic that distinguishes it.
JOHN VAN ALSTINE - ARTIST
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Metal, Steel
John Van Alstine - Taughannock, Sculpture 2005
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Sling, Sculpture 2012
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
11.5" x 19" x 4"
Small
Riverstone, Pigmented and Sealed Steel
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel
John Van Alstine - Pointe, Sculpture 2004
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - ARCOS, Sculpture 2002
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Rose Granite / Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most b...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Granite, Steel, Cut Steel
John Van Alstine - DORYPHORUS, Sculpture 2000
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
bronze and granite
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most bas...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze
John Van Alstine - FLECHE, Sculpture 2005
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Slate, Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic lev...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Slate, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Kyklos, Sculpture 2014
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
slate that has been pigmented and sealed steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a ...
Category
2010s Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle XLV
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Rockslide '22, Sculpture 2022
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level, the work ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Tiller VI, Sculpture 2020
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level, the work ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze
John Van Alstine - Implement 39, Sculpture 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Cudgel II, Sculpture 1991
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
1990s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate
John Van Alstine - Sagitta III, Sculpture 2002
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Lunge V, Sculpture 2006
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Fleche VIII, Sculpture 2017
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Granite, Bronze, Steel
John Van Alstine - River Angler, Sculpture 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Acciaccato VI, Sculpture 2016
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate
John Van Alstine - Sidewinder '07, Sculpture 2007
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Lunge XI, Sculpture 2014
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - River Landscape (Tail Fin)
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - BEAM VII, Sculpture 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gvranite, pigmented and sealed steel.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major foc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Granite, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - ACCIACCATO III, Sculpture 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
slate/pigmented and sealed steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. O...
Category
2010s Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Catapulta XVII, Sculpture 2010
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
riverstone, pigmented and sealed steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major fo...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - FAULT LINE, Sculpture 2014
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Riverstone, pigmented and sealed steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major fo...
Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle, Sculpture 2013
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
slate/ powder coated steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Slate, Steel, Cut Steel
John Van Alstine - Nosedive IV, Sculpture 2012
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel
John Van Alstine - CAMBRE IV, Sculpture 2004
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
oil enamel on steel stone
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the m...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Enamel, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Fleche VI, Sculpture 2014
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Riverstone, pigmented and sealed steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major fo...
Category
2010s Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Stormwarning IV, Sculpture 2014
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Medium: Slate, Pigmented and Sealed Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel, Cut Steel
John Van Alstine - CUDGEL 2012, Sculpture 2012
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
River Stone and Bronze
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Metal, Bronze
John Van Alstine - Diagonal Tendencies, Sculpture 2013
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Slate, pigmented and sealed steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
John Van Alstine - Crescent III, Sculpture 2003
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Granite/Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic le...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Granite, Steel
John Van Alstine - Lunge III, Photography 2005
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Schaats V, Photography 2020
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level, the work ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel
John Van Alstine - Lunge VI, Photography 2020
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Medium: Riverstone, Pigmented and Sealed Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Stone, Steel
John Van Alstine - Trophy Column, Photography 2022
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Used Van Alstine
Materials
Bronze
John Van Alstine - Hudson Breach, Sculpture 2020
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Hyde 2021
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level,...
Category
2010s Contemporary Used Van Alstine
Materials
Concrete, Slate, Bronze
John Van Alstine - East River Landscape, Sculpture 2015
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Stone and metal,usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle XLIV, Sculpture 2010
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
10" x 28" x 11"
Small
Slate, Pigmented, and Sealed Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these mat...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
H 21.5 in W 23 in D 8 in
John Van Alstine - Sisyphean Circle LVIX, Sculpture 2014
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
10" x 16" x 4"
Small
Riverstone, Pigmented, and Sealed Steel
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these ...
Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Used Van Alstine
Materials
Slate, Steel
H 10 in W 16 in D 4 in
- 1
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Used Van Alstine For Sale on 1stDibs
On 1stDibs, you can find the most appropriate used van alstine for your needs in our varied inventory. There are many Abstract and Contemporary versions of these works for sale. On 1stDibs, the right used van alstine is waiting for you and the choices span a range of colors that includes gray, gold, brown and beige. Frequently made by artists working in metal, stone and steel, these artworks are unique and have attracted attention over the years.
How Much is a Used Van Alstine?
The average selling price for a used van alstine we offer is $14,200, while they’re typically $1 on the low end and $65,000 for the highest priced.
John Van Alstine for sale on 1stDibs
BIOGRAPHY
Born in upstate New York in 1952, John Van Alstine grew up in the southern Adirondack Mountains. After attending St. Lawrence University, Kent State University (BFA 1974) and Cornell University (MFA 1976), he joined the faculty at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, and later the University of Maryland, College Park, to teach drawing and sculpture.
In 1986 he left teaching and moved to the New York area to pursue studio work full-time. In 1987 he purchased a 19th century industrial complex on the banks of the Sacandaga River and returned to the Adirondacks where he now lives and works in the restored historic structure.
Van Alstine's work is held in many private and public and corporate collections in the United States and Europe. He has completed many large scale outdoor, site-specific commissions.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The union of stone and metal—recently rough-hewn New York slate and found object steel—are central in my sculpture. On its most basic level, the work is about the marriage of the natural with the human-made.
Stone is used as an assemblage element in the way a welder uses steel, rather than in the traditional manner of subtraction. In contrast to the timelessness of stone, the found-object steel is very time-specific—20th century industrial. The industrial and structural characteristics inherent in the metal are often employed in the work and used to physically connect or suspend stone elements. The strength of the metal allows for a "choreographing" or "floating" of typically earthbound stone.
The Sisyphean Circle Series is an attempt to draw parallels between the Greek mythological character and the plight of the artist. As we all know, Sisyphus was forced to roll a large stone up a steep hill, only to have it tumble back after reaching the top. A toil that lasts an eternity is an applicable metaphor for the creative process—especially for a stone sculptor, on both a physical and symbolic level. I am constantly pushing stone around the studio, striving to reach a creative "peak", and once there, start over on the next piece. The process is neverending.
Albert Camus, the French existentialist, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, used this myth to illustrat his notion that reaching one’s final destination is not of utmost importance. In fact, if one "reconsiders Sisyphus", as Camus suggests, the struggle or journey reveals itself as, ultimately, the most meaningful—an idea that I, and many others, believe is central to the creative process.
EDUCATION
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, M.F.A., Cornell Graduate Fellowship in Sculpture, 1976 Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, B.F.A. cum laude, Sculpture, Ceramics and Glass, 1974
Blossom Festival School, Cleveland-Kent, Ohio, 1973, Studied with Richard Stankiewicz, Richard Hunt
St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, 1970-72
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-sculptures for You
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.