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.
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
Artist Comments
Artist Yelitza Diaz presents a nude figure hanging from a wooden module. Part of her Climbers series depicting people ascending geometric wooden cutouts. Yelitza offers the piece with neutral colors and virgin wood for a minimalistic effect. Inspired by the moon, the carved circle overlaps with the base that interacts with each component.
About the Artist
Born in Venezuela, Yelitza Diaz;s life has been wrapped in the arts since childhood. She founded a gallery with her husband, who is also an artist, and was successful for many years until the crime and corruption in the local government became unbearable. They now live in South Carolina, where she makes art that explores human existentialism and the political and social developments of her native country. Her sculptures are made with ceramic techniques using a minimalist contemporary style. Fun fact: Yelitza designed the town seal for her native Municipio Falc;n in Venezuela.
Words that describe this painting: figurative, wall...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Thread, Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Thread, Sailcloth
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Graphite
Artist Comments
Artist Darlene McElroy demonstrates an image of a mysterious woman from the victorian era bordered by an abstract background. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Yelena Sidorova presents vibrant poppies in various stages of growth. "Red poppies, my favorite flower," says Yelena. The vivid glowing shades create a...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Postcard, Graphite, Tape
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Gesso, Canvas, Yarn, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wood, Cotton Canvas, Archival Ink, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Yelitza Diaz presents a symbolic display of figures holding onto each other as they climb a ledge. Part of her long ongoing Climbers series reiterated ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor, Found Objects
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Handmade Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Glass, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
Artist Comments
Blending the minimalist and modern, artist Yelitza Diaz displays a sculpture of figures climbing the canvas. The three bronze beings appear in different stage...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Varnish, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Digital, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Plexiglass, Wood, Paint, Paper, Acrylic, Pins
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Cardboard, Charcoal, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A majestic deer glows before a vibrant sunset deep in the forest. Part of artist Scott Dykema's series of paintings with deers...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Yelitza Diaz exhibits nude figures climbing minimalist geometric structures. She seeks to question the basic idea of minima...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Paper, Oil
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Silk, Archival Ink
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Paint, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Brass, Copper, Steel, Wire
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
"The silence is broken only by the occasional mechanical slurp of tongue on lolly, flutter of paper-thin wing and hum of hovering metal body," says Diane Flic...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Lithograph