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
Jute, Mixed Media, Oil
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
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glue, Sumi Ink, Wood Panel, Washi Paper, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wax, Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Textile, Tapestry
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf, Metal
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Organic Material
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Thread, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Clay, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Black and White, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Photographic Paper, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Bronze, Iron
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Textile
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glass, Mixed Media, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Gouache, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Silk
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Organic Material
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
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Wood, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood Panel, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Synthetic Paper
Artist Comments
Bees hover around foxglove flowers. Artist Shannon Amidon incorporated crushed garnet and gold leaf into the piece, adding rich texture, sparkle, and warmth. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Encaustic, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Wood, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Acrylic, Archival Pigment, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Handmade Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wire
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Steel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Thread, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Pins, Thread
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel