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.
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Board
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Encaustic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas, Thread
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Mixed Media, Monotype
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Color Pencil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
An abstract minimalist composition is divided into two distinct patterned sections. Detailed lines and irregular circles define the upper area, while small, t...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
An overlapping heart pulses with vibrant pink, purple, and gold hues. Energetic lines and splashes enliven the piece, while polka dots and scribbled text lend...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Mulberry Paper, Tissue Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Pastel, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Various materials and textures create depth in this modern abstract composition. Fabric, impasto, and corrugated cardboard form a layered, tactile surface. Co...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Metal, Steel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mirror, Film
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Glue
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mirror, Film
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Stone
Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Ink, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Glue, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Linda Shaffer used an assortment of papers and original images collected from everyday life to create this multi-layered mixed-media abstract painting....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Copper
1990s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Board
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Glass, Mirror, Screen
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Sandstone
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Metal, Wire
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paint, Paper, Panel, Digital
Artist Comments
"I've always been fascinated by what people see in my paintings," says artist Patrick O'Boyle. He displays an implication of a man traveling the deep void of brilliant hues. Part of his series of colorful abstracts with hints of recognizable subject matter that leaves the viewer room to explore. He combines techniques of collage and painting to unfold a dreamy and entertaining narrative.
About the Artist
Patrick O'Boyle primarily paints in a studio, rarely using reference material other than his own thoughts and dreams. He always paints in a series of five - at the end of the fifth painting he revisits and reworks all of them until he feels they're complete. Using extra-long handles on his brushes, Patrick paints at a distance from the canvas so he can see the works evolve as a whole from the one color he starts with to the vibrant array at the end.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, colorful, bright, texture, mixed media, mark-making, collage, people, abstract, people, mixed media artwork, purple
The Traveler...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A female figure burst with earthy tones and vibrancy. The combination of collage papers, acrylic glazes, and oil pastels infuses the piece with a playful abst...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Newsprint, Ink
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Pastel, Pencil, Graphite
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Bold fluorescent colors weave through the composition, shifting between recognizable shapes and abstract forms. The haunting imagery reveals drips, dots, and ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Fabric, Canvas, Encaustic
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Bronze



