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Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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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Style: Contemporary
"Morph Dog Meets Sand Crab- Tete-a-Tete, " Original Watercolor by David Barnett
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Morph Dog Meets Sand Crab-Tête-à-Tête" is an original watercolor painting by David Barnett, signed in the lower right corner. This minimalist, abstract image features a dog and crab...
Category

1990s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Swollen short motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Ideal in Formaldehyde
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

100% Eco-Friendly Disposable Ideals
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Scorched Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Elegantly Enslaving Legendary Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Dangerous Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Fallen Ideals
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Conflictive Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Exhausted Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Elegantly Enslaving Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Armored Slogan
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Muddy Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink

Cheap and Dirty Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Ground Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Entangled Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Almost Invisible Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink

Three mottoes derived from the same distant Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Infinite Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Martyred Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Slippery Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Super Practical Repairing Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Murderous Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Poisonous Motto Maternity
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Autoimmune Slogan
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Fresh 100% Organic Gluten Free Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Contradictory Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Archaic Slogan
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink

Assassinated Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Offspring
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Disposable Motto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Gemmation of a Banner
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Slogans and Mottoes parasitizing an Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Lascivious Ideals
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Prefab Versatile Motto Strip Fragment
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Extra Fresh 100% Authentic Imperishable Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Frankenmotto
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Deparazited Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink

Thorny Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Unbalanced Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Delicate Banner
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Bipolar Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Migrating Ideal
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Event Horizon 5423
Located in Morton Grove, IL
watercolor, oil stick, prismacolor, graphite on 90# Stonehenge
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite, Oil Crayon, Watercolor

Watercolor 2
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: watercolor on Moulin du Roy paper Anastasia Pelias was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her na...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Event Horizon 5417
Located in Morton Grove, IL
watercolor, prismacolor on 90# Stonehenge
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Event Horizon 5462
Located in Morton Grove, IL
watercolor, prismacolor on 90# Stonehenge
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Long Short Series 1
Located in Morton Grove, IL
pencil, conte, prismacolor, erasure, pencil shavings and smudge on 90# Stonehenge
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Conté, Pencil

"Morph Dog Madness, " an Abstract Watercolor signed by David Barnett
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Morph Dog Madness" is an original watercolor painting signed lower right by David Barnett. It features an all-over composition with blue, red, purple, yellow, pink, and black. 4.7...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

SURF
Located in Tulsa, OK
SURF by Lisa Weiss is a Mixed Media on Bhutanese Paper measuring 12.00 X 9.00 in and is priced at $360.00. Lisa Weiss’ work is about mark making, patterning, spontaneous movement, m...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mixed Media, Handmade Paper

"The Fish Tank, " Abstract Mixed Media on Paper signed by Dan Muller
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Fish Tank" is an original mixed media on paper by Dan Muller. The artist signed the piece lower right. This artwork features abstract shapes and marks in the primary colors. The...
Category

1990s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mixed Media

Geography #4 (Abstract Grid Pastel Drawing of Africa in Light Wood Frame)
Located in Hudson, NY
Geography #4 (Abstract Gestural Pastel Drawing of Africa in Light Wood Frame) Abstract, gestural graphite and pastel drawing on Arches paper 41.5 x 30 inches unframed 49 x 37 inches...
Category

1990s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper, Graphite

Seismography #22 (Contemporary Abstract Black & White Flower Drawing, Framed)
Located in Hudson, NY
Seismography #22 (Contemporary Abstract Black & White Flower Drawing, Framed) by Anne Francey ink and gouache on paper 44 x 31 inches unframed 49 x 37.5 inches in black frame with AR...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Ink, Gouache, Archival Paper

72.89ºS, 8.15ºW; 75º @ 21 km/h; 35.0ºC 22/09/15 18:00 Local
Located in Montreal, Quebec
By Sophie Lynch In Hyperobjects, Nova Scotia-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents works that developed from her earlier drawings of brain cell patterns and her interest in t...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Watercolor 6
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: watercolor on Arches paper Anastasia Pelias was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her native an...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Watercolor 13
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: watercolor on Arches paper Anastasia Pelias was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her native an...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Watercolor 21
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: watercolor on Arches paper Anastasia Pelias was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her native an...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Watercolor 4
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: watercolor on Moulin du Roy paper Anastasia Pelias was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her na...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Contemporary abstract drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary abstract drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including David Barnett, Renato Garza Cervera, Michael Alan, and Reginald K. Gee. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary abstract drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 2.96 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $60 and tops out at $190,000, while the average work sells for $1,402.

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