Carroll Dunham's artwork is marked by a distinctive visual language, showcasing eyeless, tooth-filled, libidinal shapes that populate his personal creative universe. He views these images as, in some sense, "pictures of oneself." Dunham often incorporates flat, geometric forms reminiscent of Mayan and Aztec art, thereby enriching the tradition of expressionist abstraction. His work revisits the irrational elements of Surrealism, expanding upon imaginary worlds. In the early 1980s, Dunham's practice was influenced by post-minimal, process-based art, leading him to create detailed, color-based abstract pieces. His art is characterized by a dynamic blend of abstraction and figurative imagery, frequently featuring surreal, cartoonish forms and bold colors, explorig themes such as gender, psychology, and human nature, often incorporating nude figures and surreal landscapes.