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
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Linen, Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, House Paint, Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Graphite
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Fabric, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wool, Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Glass, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Board
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gesso, Cotton, Masonite, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Plaster, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Encaustic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Organic Material
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Darlene McElroy demonstrates a contemporary collage of vintage ephemera. She imposes the image of a lady with butterflies and paints a luscious apple h...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Clay
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic Polymer, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Botanical elements, bold typography, and abstract shapes surround a feminine figure. Through this collaged artwork, artist Darlene McElroy questions what defi...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Charcoal, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Sequins, Mixed Media, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Paper, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Pastel, Pencil, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Black and White, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Found Objects
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
Two horses stand side by side, bathed in the glow of a full moon. Artist Jennifer Ross titled this piece after the expression, “I love you to the moon and back.†She used her signature eggshell collage technique combined with acrylic paint and paper to add texture and depth to the composition. By extending the artwork to the sides, Jennifer enhances its dimensionality.
About the Artist
Artist Jennifer Ross finds inspiration in gathering and replicating fragments of nature. "Birds, nests, eggs, and horses represent my realization that life embodies a tension between wanting security and the love of freedom," says Jennifer. Through her art, she aspires to convey a healing power inspired by the living world. Jennifer initially aspired to follow her mother and grandfather's artistic path but took a detour and began a decade-long career working in art galleries, selling the artwork of others, and doing framing design. Eventually, her creative soul persisted. She began experimenting with small pastel...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Silicone, Wood
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Stainless Steel
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Lithograph, Offset
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Pastel, Pencil, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Paint




