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.
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Porcelain, Ink
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Color, Etching, Aquatint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Board, Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Abstract Mixed Media
Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Wax, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Metal
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Wood, Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Plaster, Ink
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Oil, Board
1960s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Acrylic, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A linear and tactile grid in earthy tones evokes the sensation of uncovering archaeological finds. The patterns resemble ancient writings found on cave walls,...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Marble
Artist Comments
An intricate assemblage of reclaimed wood, carefully cut and placed together to form a balanced composition that also highlights the character of the individual pieces. "No matter the side, there is a natural middle - a common ground - to meet upon," says artist Heather Patterson. "I bring together materials as disparate as flooring, piano parts, driftwood and crown molding, seeking to visually verbalize the opportunity for unity. Though we are many parts, we can join together to form a new mosaic...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Encaustic, Mulberry Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
1970s Abstract Mixed Media
Masonite, Oil
Artist Comments
Rich textures and warm, layered colors capture the quiet longing of winter. The thin coats of paint create glowing fields that evoke depth and warmth. This abst...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Iron
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Adhesive, Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Epoxy Resin, Wood
1980s Abstract Mixed Media
Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Pastel, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Mixed Media
Resin, Fiberglass, LED Light
1950s Abstract Mixed Media
Paper





