Abstract Art can be a little difficult to define, and it’s perhaps easiest explained in relation to Figurative Art. While figurative art is an attempt to represent reality, albeit sometimes in distorted or altered forms, abstract art aims to move away from this and avoid any kind of visual representation. The movement gained traction at the beginning of the 20th Century, and has since represented a central part of modern art, with abstract painters such as Kandinsky, Miró and Pollock paving the way for future artists.
Nowadays, there are plenty of contemporary artists creating Abstract Paintings, Prints, Sculpture and more. Their art eschews traditional subjects such as figures and landscapes, focusing instead on colour, shape and form to convey complex ideas and emotions. For those just beginning their art collecting journey and seasoned pros alike, we’re on hand to guide you to some of the best abstract artists practising today.
Daniela Schweinsberg is a German artist who works with a variety of different media to produce her Abstract Paintings, including acrylic paints, charcoal, oil pastel and pencil. Her artworks are raw and expressive, with a variety of contrasting colours offset against one another. Texture is central to her art, as the thick layers of paint and visible brushstrokes add a kind of topography to the work, making paint itself a central subject. This is clear to see in Painting Diaries II, a bold and expressive piece in which paint is layered onto a phonebook canvas.
Explore the world of Niki Hare, an abstract painter who employs typography and language in her visual language. Her work features isolated words or at times sentences, often distorted or in difficult-to-read colours. There’s a clear Street Art influence underpinning her work, as in Wondering Around which wouldn’t look out of place on the streets of Berlin. Niki’s art is at once intriguing and unsettling, exploring the line between sense and non-sense and the loneliness of the human condition.
If you’re looking for Abstract Photography then take a look at the work of contemporary artist Marianne Nix. Using diverse photography techniques, digital tools, printmaking methods and oil paint glazes, Marianne creates multi-layered works that redefine what it means to be a photographer. While her work at times takes real subjects such as plants, these are often so abstracted by the processes that they can easily be considered abstract works. Take Chusan Palm Blue for example, a photograph in which the plant becomes a study of light, colour and form.
Discover Abstract Art for sale or find out more in our Guide To Abstract Art.