X Ray Boombox
2010s Contemporary Still-life Prints
Digital
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Prints
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
Early 2000s American Decorative Art
Paper
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Prints
Metal
Vintage 1980s American Modern Contemporary Art
Paper
1990s American Posters
Paper
Vintage 1980s American Posters
Paper
Vintage 1980s American Modern Contemporary Art
Metal
Vintage 1980s American Posters
Paper
1990s French Posters
Linen, Paper
Early 2000s Posters
Linen, Paper
Early 2000s American Post-Modern Prints
Canvas
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Prints
Paper
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Cabinets
Glass, Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Photography
Enamel
Recent Sales
2010s Contemporary Abstract Photography
Digital, Plexiglass
Nick Veasey for sale on 1stDibs
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.