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
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Digital
Artist Comments
Dimensional collage elements define a man's profile. His colorful and pattern-rich attire creates a striking focal point against the blue background. Artist D...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Black and White, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Found Objects, Sumi Ink
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Clay, Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Found Objects, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache, Panel, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Lenticular
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Oil, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glue, Found Objects, Mica, Organic Material, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paint, Mixed Media, Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Bronze, Enamel, Steel, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Stainless Steel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Crayon, Ink, Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Graphite
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glue, Found Objects, Mica, Organic Material, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Charcoal, Watercolor, Rag Paper, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Panel, Monoprint, Woodcut, Paper, Alkyd
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wool, Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Iron
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plexiglass
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Plexiglass, Wood, Paint, Paper, Acrylic, Pins
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Black and White, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Foil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Archival Paper
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Paper
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood Panel, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Thread, Found Objects, Inkjet
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil Pastel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plaster, Wax, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Glue, Sumi Ink, Wood Panel, Washi Paper, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Porcelain, Paint, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Ink, Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paint, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Ink, Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Cardboard, Wax, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Glass