Kurd Painting
Antique Late 19th Century Armenian Tribal Caucasian Rugs
Wool
1980s Contemporary Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1980s Contemporary Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1980s Contemporary Figurative Prints
Lithograph
People Also Browsed
Antique 19th Century French Fountains
Marble
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Animal Sculptures
Statuary Marble
20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
Archival Pigment
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Animal Sculptures
Statuary Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Classical Greek Figurative Sculptures
Statuary Marble
Antique Early 19th Century French Classical Greek Prints
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Books
Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century Asian Meiji Paintings and Screens
Silk
1850s Edo Figurative Prints
Paper, Ink, Woodcut
20th Century Contemporary Nude Prints
Mixed Media, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Classical Greek Busts
Statuary Marble
Antique Mid-19th Century American Victorian Fountains
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Classical Greek Busts
Statuary Marble
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Art Deco Portrait Prints
Lithograph
Recent Sales
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Textile, Thread
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.
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