Contemporary Mixed Media
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Thread, Paper, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Pastel, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Oil, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glue, Found Objects, Mica, Organic Material, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Pigment, Paper, Tape, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Sequins
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glue, Sumi Ink, Wood Panel, Washi Paper, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper, Ink, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Jute, Mixed Media, Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Monoprint
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil Pastel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Silk, Mixed Media, Screen, Cotton
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Organic Material
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Steel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ceramic, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Wood, Oil, Giclée, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Soft blues, yellows, and pinks illuminate an evening sky rendered in a brick-like pattern. This application contrasts sharply with the organic flow of the lands...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A woman's face emerges from a vibrant collage of patterns, textures, and colors. Letters, floral motifs, and dimensional objects create a narrative. Artist Da...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paint, Mixed Media, Board
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Textile, Found Objects, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wool, Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Photographic Paper
Artist Comments
The artwork features an image of a nest with a robin egg that was blown from a tree on artist Jodi Dann's property, printed on textured rice paper. Below the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Thread
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wire
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wax, Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Tissue Paper
Artist Comments
A contemplative portrait of a horse, gently accented by drifting butterflies. Artist Jennifer Ross employs her signature eggshell collage technique, rooted in...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Jute, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Board
Artist Comments
This encaustic artwork depicts San Francisco Bay from Pr. Richmond. Fragments of sewing patterns reveal McCall's models from a packaging, adding a nostalgic layer to the composition. Artist James Hartman used a cradled panel covered in vintage collage and beeswax to create the piece.
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Steel