Abstract Mixed Media
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.
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Paper
Artist Comments
In artist Crystal DiPietro's jeweled-toned impressionist piece, a craggy mountain ridge sits in view. She paints on location at the muddy southwestern mountains...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Photographic Paper, Photogram, Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Foil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Paper, Varnish
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Pigment
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Polyurethane
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Plexiglass, Mixed Media, Cardboard
Artist Comments
Artist Joe Giuffrida shares an impressionist landscape depicting the glacial topography known as a drumlin. The southern New Hampshire scene extends the gorgeou...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Strong simple shapes create a figurative abstract in artist Gail Ragains's piece. An impression of a nude woman sits on a stool with her back hunched in contemp...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Organic Material, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Crayon, Archival Ink, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy demonstrates an aerial view of a meditative lily pond with an impressionistic approach. Two orange koi fishes gracefully swim around the surro...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Wax, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Terri Bell exhibits a loosely constructed tactile abstract with tight linear work. "This detailed work is peaceful and subtle," states Terri. The mixed-m...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Rice Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Panel
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Wax, Encaustic, Wood Panel, Pigment
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal, Enamel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Glitter, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Darlene McElroy paints an impressionist portrait of a woman in a straw hat. The subject reads a book on a wrought iron park bench as her four-legged companion rests by her feet. Surrounded by the flourishing foliage of the botanical garden, they spend a laid-back afternoon in the warm summer sun. A harmonious balance of light and shadow develops in the narrative.
About the Artist
Darlene McElroy sees creating art as similar to reading Turkish coffee grounds. A story becomes revealed as one looks at the surface, texture and color. Her works use a variety of materials ranging from acrylic paints to photo transfers and collage. She currently lives in New Mexico and has been greatly influenced by the work of Robert Rauschenberg. She encourages viewers to search for their narrative interpretation when viewing a work.
Words that describe this painting: woman, people, figurative, dog, nature, narrative, storytelling, botanical garden, book, dog, trees, sun, acrylicpaint, impressionism, animals, people, mixed media artwork, yellow
Rest Break in the Gardens
Darlene McElroy
acrylic, collage on masonite...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax Crayon, India Ink, Encaustic, Color Pencil, Graphite
Artist Comments
I am often inspired by a beautiful tablescape. Since I'm a foodie, I love to paint tables set with a colorful meal and dishes amid abstract accents. I also lo...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Conté, Oil Crayon, Pastel, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Ac...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Sumi Ink, Archival Paper, Graphite, Wax Crayon
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Wax Crayon, Sumi Ink, Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wax Crayon, India Ink, Encaustic, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Inkjet, Pigment, Archival Pigment
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Encaustic, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Canvas
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Archival Pigment
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Gouache
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold