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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
#10, 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

#18, 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

Cosmica #71, 4 Elements
Located in New York City, NY
Orlando Azevedo Cosmica #115, 4 Elements, Archival Pigment Print Unframed Ask us for framing options. 40 x 40 inches Edition of 13 Archival Pigment Print Unframed
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Metal

"Rothko Series 3: ND2-2-2" (2015) Archival Abstracted Texture Photo Print
Located in Denver, CO
"Rothko Series 3:ND2-2-2" Is a beautiful original edited photography print, done on archival photo canvas. Daniel J. Kaufman (b. New York City, May 4th, 1949) Childhood in Great Nec...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Canvas

"Abstract Composition I" in Red Orange Yellow and Black Modern Art Spots
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Abstract Composition I" by James Chadwick is from his series that takes from vintage patterning, zooming in to see the abstraction of the detail which ...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Plexiglass, Photographic Paper

#158, 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

#43, 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

Holding Light In Darkness #10
Located in Los Angeles, CA
THE COLOR OF WATER Lake Michigan blue sits at the pastel confluence of green, grey and cyan on the nearby shoreline. In truth, the color of the lake is as transitory as Chicago weather. The shade of blue is widely determined by the reflection of the sky above and the organic material and sediment carried below. I recently learned that invasive mussel species have slowly transformed the lake from green to bluer over the past two decades. I often return to the water’s edge to document the color of a given day. Susan Isaacson...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper

#106, 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

Blanket 7, Abstract Photograph, 2015
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Your purchase through TurningArt can be displayed as either a high quality print, or it's true original form as a woven blanket. Please contact TurningArt for more information. The process consisted of creating a very small image and having the computer attempt to fill the rest of the art space, resulting in stretched and distorted shapes. In Dan DeRosato...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Fabric

A Panda. Limited edition color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Abstract 2571
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork captures a dreamy landscape through a masterful blend of pastel colors. Soft pinks, purples, and blues dominate the scene, evoking a serene, ethereal atmosphere. Gentle ...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Cosmica #68, 4 Elements
Located in New York City, NY
Orlando Azevedo Cosmica #115, 4 Elements, Archival Pigment Print Unframed Ask us for framing options. 40 x 40 inches Edition of 13 Archival Pigment Print Unframed
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Metal

Remedy (June School)
Located in New York, NY
40"x32" photogram Wendy Small’s “Remedy” photograms are made by collecting leaves, weeds, or flowers from a specific place (indicated in the title) and placing those leaves directly ...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Photogram

A Tiger. Limited edition color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival 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

A Horse. Limited edition color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Anemorphose Cabo Verde #9
Located in New York City, NY
27 x 44 in Edition of 9 EUR 3.500 35 x 57 in Edition of 9 EUR 5.500 48 x 71 in Edition of 9 EUR 7.100 Dye Sublimation on Aluminum 48 x 77 in Edition of 9 EUR 9.100 Dye Sublimation...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Dye Transfer

Red Guard, Seversky at 12 Guardsman, Chino, USA
Located in New York City, NY
27 x 44 in Edition of 9 EUR 3.500 35 x 57 in Edition of 9 EUR 5.500 48 x 71 in Edition of 9 EUR 7.100 Dye Sublimation on Aluminum 48 x 77 in Edition of 9 EUR 9.100 Dye Sublimation...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Dye Transfer

ID No. 6 The Melancholic. Limited edition photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In this early photographic series, Dubravka Lazić turns her lens toward a subject rarely treated with such a quiet dignity: domestic cats. Shot in 2005, these portraits mimic the fo...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Old Freemont Street Neon, Las Vegas
Located in Miami, FL
This is the quintessential image of a bygone era. Old Las Vegas is captured with glowing neon signs set against a dramatic desert sunset. Signed and dated on lower right, numbered on...
Category

1970s Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

#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

#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

Wooden Pier on Lake, Austria, black and white fine art photography, landscape
Located in Vienna, Vienna
Black and white fine art long exposure waterscape - landscape photography. Archival pigment ink print as part of a limited edition of 7. All Gerald Berghammer prints are made to orde...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital Pigment

Strata # 202506 (Abstract Photography)
Located in London, GB
Unique. Paul Snell is an Australian artist who blurs the boundaries between photography and painting, creating contemplative works that replace constant image saturation with moment...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Concrete, Enamel

Yellow Ball, East Hampton
Located in East Hampton, NY
Yellow Ball, East Hampton, NY, Archival Pigment Print, $ Ed. 3/5, 2016 Printed to Order *Photography: U Wash Truck, Death Valley and Mulford Lane, Amagansett 2012 have been feature...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

#138, 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

Vintage Red Ferrari in Florence, Italy - Race Cars, Red Sports Cars
Located in Miami, FL
A cluster of vintage red Ferraris lounge on displayed in a square in Florence, Italy. Street Photographer Mitchell Funk was struck by the unexpected site and documented the scene em...
Category

1990s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

#111, 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

He Said 01 and She Said 03, Diptych. Abstract Liminited Edition photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artists computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's wo...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival 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

Aluminum Siding Bale
Located in New York, NY
60"x40" framed photograph This photograph is from Stephen Mallon's series, "American Reclamation" and depicts bailed Aluminum Siding. The recycling industry in America and its va...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print

#180, 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

Gaia 108 - Spanish Landscape Photograph Natural Environment Diptych
Located in Brighton, GB
Gaia 108 - Spanish Landscape Photograph Natural Environment Diptych by Jaume Llorens Bach Gaia Diptych 108 is a 18cm x 24cm Black and White Photographic print on Premio Kozo 180gsm ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Black and White, Digital, Photographic Paper

#252, 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

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

#96, 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

#257, 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 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

#198, 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

Eiffel Tower in Jackson Pollock Drip Lighting - Paris France
Located in Miami, FL
When the Eiffel Tower was conceived in 1886, it was to be a symbol of aesthetic avant-garde thinking. In 1994, Photographer Mitchell Funk pays homage to Gustave Eiffel's spirit of ...
Category

1990s Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Chrysler Building Art Deco Skyscraper
Located in Miami, FL
Architecture becomes an abstract design statement as seen thru the lens of Mithcell Funk Striking graphic design with found elements is a signature style of Mitchell Funk. He brings ...
Category

1980s Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Archival Paper

Blue Bird - abstract landscape Photography, Limited edition of 5
Located in London, GB
Blue Bird is a quiet study in reflection, shadow, and stillness. A mountain ridge dissolves into deep black, its form mirrored in a soft, spectral blue. The image, flipped and near a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper

#94, 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

"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48 x48 inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor
Located in Culver City, CA
"Emulsion 27" Abstract Photography 48'x48' inch Edition of 10 by Giuliano Bekor Emulsion series. Title of artwork: EM27 Year: 2010 Print size: 48x48 Inches trim bleed Rarity: Limite...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

#143, 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

#235, 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

Grid. No 5 (Contemporary Framed Abstract Grid in Black Coffee)
Located in Hudson, NY
unique chromoskedasic monoprint on B&W photo paper 14 x 11 inches unframed 20 x 16 inches in black metal frame with non-glare glass This contemporary, abstract style chromoskedasic ...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Monoprint

#89, 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

Navel of the dream - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 10
Located in London, GB
Navel of the Dream presents a suspended field of sensation, lines converge into shadow, textures ripple softly outward, and light hovers without seeking to define. There is no fixed ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Archival Paper

#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

Conversation - charcoal and watercolor abstract expression, Editon 2 of 15
Located in London, GB
"Conversation" is an abstract expressionist piece that embodies the tension between spontaneity and structure. Sweeping gestures and delicate washes intertwine in a layered dialogue ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Film, Photographic Film, Charcoal, Watercolor, Giclée

Awake - Abstract Expressionist Art Photography
Located in Zürich, CH
Der Foto-Künstler, Roger Reist, reflektiert die Welt um uns herum und in seinen Bildern auf zauberhafte Weise: "Die gesellschaftlichen Muster zu erkennen, diese anhand von meinen Bil...
Category

2010s Abstract Photography

Materials

Black and White

#142, 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

#171, 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

Darkness Below - Abstract Marine Scene in Cobalt Blue with Colorful Accents
Located in Miami, FL
Viktor Schreckengost paints an ocean scene and moon with precise attention. The painting is part document and part flat abstraction. The uniqueness in this work is how Schreckengos...
Category

1970s Abstract Photography

Materials

Watercolor, Illustration Board, Acrylic

#256, 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

"Removal of Self #70" Abstract Photography 22" x 14.5" in Ed. 1/1 by Ben Cope
Located in Culver City, CA
"Removal of Self #70" Photography 22" x 14.5" inch Edition 1/1 by Ben Cope Signed by the artist. Comes with COA issued by the artist. Medium: Photo on deconstructed paper Ben Cope...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Pigment

#240, 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

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.

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