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
Canvas, Giclée
Artist Comments
Black and white rose petals unfurl amid splashes of gold in this acrylic and oil painting. Each stroke captures emotion, holding moments in the eternal beauty o...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ceramic, Porcelain, Mixed Media, Screen, Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Giclée
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Oil, Color
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Screen, Stretcher Bars
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Color
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Color
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Oil, Color
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Mixed Media, Color
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Screen, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Encaustic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
LED Light
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Linen, Mixed Media, Mesh
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Linen, Mixed Media, Mesh
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Mixed Media, Stretcher Bars, Acrylic, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Screen, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Screen, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cotton, Mixed Media, Stretcher Bars, Acrylic, Screen
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Copper, Enamel
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Charcoal, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Stone, Copper, Steel
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Stone, Bronze, Steel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plastic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Silver
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Slip
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Glass
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Wax, Oil, Panel