Abstract Photography
ABSTRACT STYLE
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.
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Style: Abstract
#231, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Blender 01 and I Got Your Back 01, Diptych. Abstract color photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artist's computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world.
Tcherassi's w...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Carts (motion blur, dream image, daily life, vivid colors)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Jeffrey Tamblyn
Carts
Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemuehle Baryta Rag
Year: 2021
Size: 16x20 inches
Edition: 50
Signed, dated and numbered by hand on label
COA provided
Ref.: 924802...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Eugene 7 - Floral landscape white dominant contemporary abstract color photo
Located in New York, NY
Belgian photographer Isabelle Menin creates portraits of flowers that are not only gorgeous in form and color, but also uniquely expressive. Fresh blossoms and withering blooms melt ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Rainbow Reflections, Waterscape Diptych, Altered Nature Limited, Giclée, Ripples
Located in Barcelona, ES
Cyd Fontaine (Lausanne, 1992) is a contemporary artist renowned for her captivating use of dreamy atmospheric gradients, which has helped her carve a distinctive niche in the world of digital art. Drawing inspiration from the ethereal beauty of nature, Fontaine's artistic journey has taken her on an imaginative exploration of space, depth, and emotion through the medium of large digital prints.
Her signature style is characterized by the use of vast, immersive gradients that seem to stretch infinitely across space. These gradients evoke a sense of enigmatic calmness, inviting viewers to lose themselves in the expanse of her visual landscapes. Her ability to create a feeling of boundless depth and space within her pieces, combined with subtle minimalist compositions, is a testament to her mastery of the digital medium.
Fontaine’s pieces resonate with audiences seeking a connection to the sublime, offering a window into a world where colors blend seamlessly and boundaries dissolve. Her work can be found in several private collections throughout Europe and the United States. She currently lives and works between Barcelona and Lausanne.
Details:
Title: Rainbow Reflections...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, C Print, Digital, G...
Neon Bar Sign Glow on Moody Manhattan Nocturne
Located in Miami, FL
Manhattan Nocturne by Mitchell Funk. The colors are the music of the night. The image is a stunning example of the artist’s blending of the abstract and representational.
Signed, ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Street Walkers - New York Street Photography Abstraction
Located in Miami, FL
The history of street photography has been characterized by a loose snapshot style where the central purpose was to capture random moments as they unfold in time. Little emphasis was...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Hot Red Abstract Photography, Limited Edition of 5, 21st Century
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Photography, abstract, limited edition of 5, will be signed. For me reflecting a very strong emotion.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
$335 Sale Price
20% Off
Gravity - Liquid 58 (Abstract Photography)
By Seb Janiak
Located in London, GB
Gravity - Liquid 58 (Abstract Photography)
Chromogenic print. Edition 1/5.
In his Gravity Liquid series, Janiak creates visual representations of the idea that form cannot exist wi...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
C Print
Chrysler Building Spire with Moon - Art Deco skyscraper
Located in Miami, FL
Pioneering Color Photographer Mitchell Funk carefully crafts a composition where the graceful Art Deco shapes of the Chrysler Building spire play off t...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
#246, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#45, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#118, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
August Evening Photography Fine Art Print Limited Edition
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Limited edition of 10, fine art print, signed by the author.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Color
$287 Sale Price
80% Off
#170, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Crystal - Still life colour photography, limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
'Crystal'
Printed on archival paper with museum-grade precision, this limited edition work balances mystery and simplicity.
A photograph is carefully placed in a secure cardboard p...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Paper
Red Pause and Artificial Blast, Diptych. From The While You Are Sleeping Series
By Arslan Sükan
Located in Miami Beach, FL
‘While you are sleeping’ (Seascape Series) In his seascape works, Sukan manipulates his imagery connected to the constant tensions between the mental grasp of the specificity and rep...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Color
Visible, Disappearance and Destiny, Triptych
By Arslan Sükan
Located in Miami Beach, FL
‘While you are sleeping’ (Seascape Series) In his seascape works, Sukan manipulates his imagery connected to the constant tensions between the mental grasp of the specificity and rep...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Black and White, Archival Pigment
#19, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#190 II Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#184 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#182 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#180 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#179 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Wave I - large format abstract liquidscape in azur and lapis blue color palette
Located in San Francisco, CA
mesmerizing large scale photographic capture of strikingly abstract water surface shimmering in soothing tones of cobalt, admiral, azur and lapis blue
Wave I (Abstract) by Christian...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
#175 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Between Rain
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10.
Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
C Print
Side Effects, Depth of Winter, Skiers 02, abstract aerial landscape photograph
Located in New York, NY
Kacper Kowalski began his career as a landscape photographer, far before
the preeminence of drones or Google Earth, strapping himself into a
gyrocopter and exploring his native Poland through the lens of a film camera.
This repeated, almost ritualistic exploration of home became the foundation of
his work. Kowalski observes the macro-evolution of the Polish landscape...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
#162, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Untitled 13 and 14, Diptych. From The While You Are Surfing Series
By Arslan Sükan
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The physical gestures that make up our interactions with touch-screen personal devices are intensely intimate, yet abstract signatures of our everyday browsing and messaging patterns...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Inkjet, Archival Pigment
#108, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#238, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
American abstract black and white photograph by Lloyd Ullberg circa 1938
Located in Colfax, CA
Early modernist photograph by California artist Lloyd Ullberg.
Lloyd Ullberg was a highly talented self-taught American modernist photographer whose works were published in major Am...
Category
1930s Abstract Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Black and white abstract photograph by Lloyd Ullberg
Located in Colfax, CA
Early modernist photograph by California artist Lloyd Ullberg.
Lloyd Ullberg was a highly talented self-taught American modernist photographer whose works were published in major Am...
Category
1930s Abstract Photography
Materials
Platinum
Modernist photograph by California artist Lloyd Ullberg circa 1935
Located in Colfax, CA
Early modernist photograph by California artist Lloyd Ullberg.
‘Plaza – That Way’
Lloyd Ullberg was a highly talented self-taught American modernist photographer whose works were p...
Category
1930s Abstract Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Modernist black and white photograph by Lloyd Ullberg
Located in Colfax, CA
Early modernist photograph by California artist Lloyd Ullberg from the 1930s.
Lloyd Ullberg was a highly talented self-taught American modernist photographer whose works were publis...
Category
1930s Abstract Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Lichtblick
Located in Fairfield, CT
Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas.
Her LIGHT and SEA series, and all other water related series, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
C Print
#164, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Snowy Night, Rainy Night in Manhattan with Orange Sky
Located in Miami, FL
A solitary hooded figure crosses a desolate Manhattan street as light snow and rain come down. For 54 years, Mitchell Funk has been chronicling the effects of light on form; here, h...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Lucid Dream
Located in Fairfield, CT
Also available 50 x 70 in. $9,500, edition of 10.
Christine Matthäi was born in Germany. She lives and works between Shelter Island, New York, Germany and the Bahamas. Her LIGHT an...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
C Print
#115, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#253, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Red Window (artist framed) - large scale abstract monochromatic photograph
Located in San Francisco, CA
large scale monochromatic abstract observation of geometric architectural elements, from Raymond Meier's series Renderings
Red Window (Renderings 05) by Ra...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée
Phlox Paniculata Blue Evening - Blue Evening Royal Horticultural Society Wisley
By Giles Revell
Located in Brighton, GB
Phlox Paniculata Blue Evening by Giles Revell
This is an Archival Pigment Print available in this size of 50cm x 50cm in a limited edition of 25 prints.
In Cartographic Colour, Gil...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Color, Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Pigment
#237, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#150, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Daydream - abstract colour photography Limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
'Daydream'
London, United Kingdom 2020
Limited edition of 20.
The photograph is signed front and back and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Carefully placed in a secure ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Giclée, Color
#255, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#18, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#127, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#39, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#105, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Retaining Wall II, Rockingham - Abstract Blue Color Photograph
Located in Cambridge, GB
Blue abstract photograph from Richard Heeps' series Trading Paint.
Richard Heeps has a history of photographing Drag Racing in the UK, America and Europe. Trading Paint is a term tha...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
#88, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Fern No.2 - black and white landscape photography Limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Fern No.2
London, United Kingdom 2024.
Created using a large format camera and traditional black-and-white film, this photograph exemplifies Ugne’s skill in capturing the beauty of...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Film, Photographic Film, Giclée
Good Mood/Print/limited/Signed
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Print. Signed, limited edition of 5. The picture should represent a face.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography
Materials
Archival Paper
$329 Sale Price
50% Off
#75, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#114, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#93, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
#91, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece
More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request.
Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Category
2010s Abstract Photography
Materials
Pigment
Abstract photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, red, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Mitchell Funk, Paul Snell, Michael Banks, and Seb Janiak. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Pigment Print and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract photography, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available. Prices for photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $50 and tops out at $36,000, while the average work sells for $3,359.