Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
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.
20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Ink, Pastel, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1910s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Etching
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil, Tempera, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Carbon Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil, Tempera
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Ballpoint Pen, Graphite
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic, Ballpoint Pen, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Sumi Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Tempera
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Chalk, Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Sumi Ink, Watercolor, Mulberry Paper
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Tempera
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pastel
Artist Comments
A bouquet of flowers in a wintery palette of blues and pink. Free flowing watercolor, excited brushwork and strong diagonals create a dynamic composition. On ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Chalk
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gouache, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Pen
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Laid Paper
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Laid Paper
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Acrylic, Crayon, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Chalk, Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Crayon, Pastel, Handmade Paper, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Graphite, Paper
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Chalk
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Chalk
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal, Archival Paper