Abstract More 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.
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2010s Abstract More Art
Photographic Film, Encaustic, Handmade Paper
Artist Comments
In this modernist nude portrait, artist Robin Okun highlights the soft curves of the body against the structure of the space, adding expression with a subtle ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract More Art
Gold, Bronze
2010s Abstract More Art
Acrylic, Cardboard
Artist Comments
As late autumn approaches, the trees cast an array of colorful shadows over the sunny landscape. Pale blue skies peek through the branches and offset the yell...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
In the style of impressionism, artist Lisa Elley displays a classic vineyard with an alluring thick impasto texture. "In all things of nature there is somethi...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract More Art
Silk, Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Samuel Pretorius paints a warm and refreshing stretch of Coronado Beach. He displays a quintessentially California composition in charismatic impressionism. The lifeguard tower and palm tree overlook the sea glistening in the late afternoon sun. "I wanted to capture the heat of the sand on a hot summer day with the promise of cooling down in the ocean," says Samuel.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: lifeguard tower, beach, Coronado, California, ocean, sand, shore, island, sky, clouds, afternoon, summer, season, seascape...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
1950s Abstract More Art
Mosaic
Artist Comments
A young girl sits at a park on a late summer's day in August, lost in a story of a compelling book. The strong afternoon sunlight highlights her hair and back. "I saw this girl sitting by the reflecting pool in Washington, DC", shares artist Faye Vander Veer. "I wanted the painting to be about her, so I obscured surrounding details and kept the brushwork loose. What was her story, what was she reading?”
About the Artist
Artist Faye Vander Veer seeks out moments with engaging narratives and captures them with an impressionist style. She describes herself as an observer of people living their day-to-day lives. Her goal is to offer viewers a look into her sensory memory while also prompting the beginning of a story. Faye always keeps her camera by her side, ready to capture reference material. "For me, each painting is an opportunity to explore my emotional reactions to the color and light I observe," says Faye. She enjoys being in her glass-walled studio surrounded by nature to inspire her creative process. When she is not putting paint on canvas, Faye can be found in nature, journaling or writing poetry. Her artwork has been showcased in both American Art Collector and Art of the West magazines.
Words that describe this painting: figure, figurative, female, woman, girl, impressionism, impressionist, water, book, Manet, Degas, people, park, book, hair, impressionism, people, oil painting, brown
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
1960s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Sherri Aldawood captured the morning sunlight falling across a courtyard in Tlaquepaque in Sedona, AZ. During the day, the outdoor market bustles with ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
20th Century Abstract More Art
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer depicts a late afternoon at a cafe in Rome. Understanding design, value, and color harmony, Faye demonstrates these with keen attention to detail. "You first notice the waiter carefully placing crystal wine glasses on the table," shares Faye. "Then leading to the lady in blue...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Nicole Lamothe captures bright and vibrant daisies on a green bowl. "These are the first buds from the garden, ushering i...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
20th Century Abstract More Art
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"This painting was inspired by the coastal palette of the Mendocino region in California," shares artist Lisa Elley. The soothing cool hues present the scene ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
The painting is a result of my impressions from traveling in Mexico. Old, colorful, dramatic looking houses under the bright sun look dynamic and full of life energy.
About the Artist
Suren is an impressionist painter eloquently capturing nature, landscapes, and cityscapes in paint. His body of work reflects several different stylistic approaches. Suren’s scenes in oil are inspired by Impressionist masters Monet and Van Gogh, while his watercolor series of flowers and birds are influenced by Eastern styles of painting and the colors of the Middle Eastern environment. Suren believes his role as an artist is to remind viewers that we all are part of the same natural universe.
Sunny Day, Street in Puerto Vallarta...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist John Jaster paints an impressionistic view of a golden aspen forest. Tall trees painted in bold yellow, green and blue sprea...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
This painting is part of Suren Nersisyan's series of California landscapes focusing on the nature and stunning light around Los Angeles. He draws inspiration ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This painting is part of Suren Nersisyan's series of California landscapes focusing on the nature and stunning light around Los Angeles. He draws inspiration from the residential streets, parks and gardens that dot the vast city. Of this piece, Suren says Just before dusk, the soft light from the sun and the beautiful colors of vintage buildings...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jennifer Ross paints a sunny and cheerful still life of a robin’s nest occupied with three eggs. Nestled within a carefully woven nook of grass and twigs, three blue eggs appear within its dark recesses. The nest is set against a white surface cut by a bright complementing yellow hue. “Robin’s egg blue is one of the most beautiful colors found in nature, and one found on my palette,†says Jennifer.
About the Artist
Artist Jennifer Ross creates intimate portraits of birds, nests and horses. Jennifer grew up surrounded by the art of her mother and grandfather. Her attempt to follow in their footsteps presented detours, however, and she ended up working in art galleries selling other's work. But her desire to paint continued to grow throughout the years. In 2008, a gift certificate...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Heather Foster paints a pair of horses along a road that leads to the Galisteo Dam in New Mexico. "The light was amazing at that time of day," recalls Heather. She combines hues that accentuate the cool shadows and warm colors that were quickly fading with the sun. Masterful plays of shadow and light rule this outback acrylic piece.
About the Artist
Artist Heather Foster captures an enduring image of the West. She paints the dramatic landscapes and stalwart animals she encounters on her adventures to ranches and rodeos. Heather says she has always known she wanted to be an artist. As a child, she spent her weekends and summers riding the bus into Philadelphia to attend art classes at Philadelphia College of Art, Moore College of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Over the years, she's moved around the country quite a bit and done many jobs - everything from driving a pedicab (a giant tricycle that transports passengers) to art restoration and conservation (for one project, she unstretched and then restretched a $17 million painting that would not fit through the door of the buyer's house). The one constant though, no matter where she lived or what side jobs she held, she always made space and time to paint. Today, she works from a home studio in Santa Fe...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"A group of people, dressed in bright, colorful summer attire, wait in line for the store to open," describes artist John Jaster. "People watching has always ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Steel
Early 2000s Abstract More Art
Textile
Artist Comments
More and more I love to experiment with abstraction. It's amazing how realism with some abstraction somehow looks more true than when rendered using just real...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Valerie Berkely displays and abstract floral filled with small peppy blossoms. She creates a glowing background using a limited palette of transparent purples and yellows. Valerie demonstrates expressive finger painting...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A cluster of pink hydrangeas arranged in a clear rounded vase in full bloom. Artist Nicole Lamothe painted this piece in alla-pr...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A woman comfortably sits under a shaded porch on a sunny morning. Artist Onelio Marrero captures the scene from Angel of The Sea, a breakfast inn located at C...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"The winter season highlights the houses and farms by accenting everything with snow," says artist Brian McCarty. Amongst the crisp winter landscape, a three-story barn stands prominently. A trail makes its way towards the edge of the structure's door and continues to carve its path to an unseen destination. "The reds on country barns become that much more colorful when surrounded by snow."
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: country, country life, farm, farmhouse, rural, barn, building, architecture, windows, door, winter, snow, trees...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Sunset along the coast. Dark crimson clouds float over the glowing blue water. In the foreground, the landscape radiates with yellow and red. Benjamin explain...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A blaze of color warms sunset clouds. "It was early autumn and the leaves turned into yellow, orange, and pink, but some were still very green," explains arti...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Crystal DiPietro shares a spectacular mountain desert view from a camping and hiking trip to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Rendered en plein air, Crystal captured the sierra's golden summit as the sun sets, its rays melting into the west. "The late afternoon light lit up the dramatic peaks with a warm glow."
About the Artist
Many artists work with the landscape, but Crystal DiPietro sees her works as different from most in the genre. "I tend not to see landscapes as soft and pretty, but as rugged, dramatic and colorful." Many of her works depict wild storms and moody sunsets. She spends a lot of time in remote spots and uses layers of color to create her compositions. Her work hovers between a brief impression of a scene and a pure dream. Crystal's landscapes of southern Utah seem to undulate and continuously change. What's interesting, though, is that these mountains and valleys seem to do the same thing in person. In these areas, the view changes constantly throughout the day as the light shifts, throwing shadows of faces, mazes and alien patterns across the cliff faces. Crystal impressively captures what's there, and what seems to be but isn't.
Words that describe this painting: mountains, desert, peaks, sunset, landscape, southwest, west, western, plein air, Mojave, Joshua Tree, shadow, impressionism, oilpaint, impressionism, landscape, western, oil painting, blue
Sunset Glow...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A sophisticated, dreamlike view of divergent paths one can take. The middle path appearing as a painting within a painting...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Building up many layers of color in oil paint and cold wax medium, Valerie then used scrapers to reveal the tree trunks in an abstract landscape. Warm orange and yellow trees standing in front of a cool blue and green background. Heavy texture complements the expressionist palette. The piece is part of a series of three works. Although Valerie did not create them as triptych, the three hang well close together.
About the Artist
Valerie Berkely uses her finger tips as brushes to create her abstract paintings. For Valerie, the art is all about the process, the paint, her mood, and the moment. She admires the artist Wolf Kahn, who once said, “the picture is the conclusion of an experiment in which the hint of an image becomes actuality." Like Kahn, Valerie’s paintings combine pictorial landscapes with painterly abstraction. The vibrant primary colors capture the hues of the sun rising and setting, and the texture of her fingers across the surface divides sea, land, and sky. There is something very dreamy about these works, exemplified by their color, texture, and atmospheric quality. Valerie’s first “art epiphany” was seeing Seurat's La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Bowled me over! I actually fell down. And I knew I was to become a painter.”
Words that describe this painting: woods, forest, trees, nature, expressionism, nature, non-representational, oil painting, blue
Bare Trees...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Yellow victorian on a quiet street in Cary, North Carolina. Bright spring light shines from the right, illuminating the new growth in the yard and casting an ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"The sun is shining brightly, and its playful, beaming rays are bathing in the puddles along with the sparrows," says artist Tatiana Iliina. Strong and tall t...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic, Board
Artist Comments
"Year after year, I look forward to having a white Christmas," shares artist Jo Galang. "To my surprise, the first snow came on Christmas Day last year. All t...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Evening in an italian town. The title "Passeggiata" refers to a leisurely stroll often taken after dinner where friends meet up on the street. Dramatic lighti...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
Artist Comments
As the sun sets behind the distant ridge, the fork in the river floods with warm hues from overhead. "I loved the way the light bounced on this southern river...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
An expressionist portrait of relationships as a dance. Dominant blue palette with hints of red, purple and pink that offers both cal...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1950s Abstract More Art
Oil





