Davy And Kristin Mcguire Fairy
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Video, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Video, Mixed Media
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Busts
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures
Resin
Early 20th Century French Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swiss Bookcases
Walnut
Early 2000s American Decorative Art
Paper
1980s Pop Art Portrait Photography
Silver Gelatin, Permanent Marker, Photographic Paper
Vintage 1970s French Hollywood Regency Side Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Still-life Sculptures
Mixed Media
1990s Posters
Linen, Paper
Vintage 1940s North American Industrial More Desk Accessories
Cut Steel
Vintage 1980s American Modern Contemporary Art
Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century English Regency Platters and Serveware
Earthenware
1990s Posters
Linen, Paper
Antique 19th Century Italian Classical Roman Sculptures
Carrara Marble
Vintage 1980s American Posters
Paper
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Video, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Video, Mixed Media
A Close Look at contemporary Art
Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.