Begin with a detail that interests you

An unexpected colour, a loose mark or an unusual shape can make a contemporary abstract print worth returning to. This is a varied selection rather than one prescribed look for a modern room. Start with what you can see and enjoy before worrying about how to explain it.

You might follow the movement between two shapes or prefer an image whose open space leaves a single mark clearly visible. Neither response needs a formal interpretation. Open the artwork image, look at its details and keep the pieces that still hold your attention after the first glance.

Use the label as an opening, not a room rule

Contemporary art is a broad term. Getty's introduction to contemporary art describes a range of present-day artistic practices; it is not one visual recipe. Here, the collection offers a way into abstract prints with varied colours, marks and arrangements.

Choose the particular work for your home rather than expecting the category name to decide. A spare curve and a busy field of marks can both belong in your shortlist. The useful question is which image you want to see beside the furniture and objects you already live with.

Compare the busy areas with the open ones

Look at how the image distributes its detail. Some compositions gather marks in a dense area and leave the rest open, while others spread colour across the full picture. That difference can help you choose for a wall near patterned fabric, shelving or a collection of objects.

Try a more open image beside the busy surroundings, then compare a denser candidate. If the room is spare, you can still enjoy a spare image; the artwork does not have to provide the opposite of the furnishings. Let the comparison show you the relationship you prefer.

Make a connection through colour or shape

Choose one visible detail to connect with the room: a warm background, a dark line or a rounded form that relates to a lamp. It can be a small relationship rather than an exact colour match. This leaves the rest of the print free to introduce something different.

For a more structured direction, compare geometric abstract prints. If colour is the detail you keep returning to, browse colourful abstract wall art. Comparing neighbouring selections can help you describe what matters to you without turning a category into a rule about your taste.

Try scale and format together

Use paper outlines of the available finished dimensions to compare the piece with the clear wall area. A large arrangement of small marks and one broad shape will give you different details to see at the same size. Look from the doorway, then from your regular seat, before choosing the outline you prefer.

Compare the offered frame finishes as part of that outline. A dark border may connect with marks inside the work; a pale or timber-toned one may relate to the background or furniture. Check the product page for the actual formats, materials and mounting details rather than inferring them from the style label.

Choose for the view you will return to

A piece can belong above a cabinet, opposite a sofa or on a landing where you see it in passing. Check the location with the room's normal lights on and notice any reflections that hide the details you enjoy. The most useful position may be the one that gives you a clear everyday view rather than the most conventional wall.

If you want to understand the terms more fully, the guide to modern and contemporary abstract art explains the distinction. Use it as context, then return to the specific picture. Your shortlist can include different styles, provided you enjoy the way each work sits in your room.