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.
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Laid Paper, Black and White
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Enamel
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache, Pencil
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1950s Contemporary Mixed Media
Watercolor, Lithograph, Offset
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Textile
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ceramic, Screen
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Wool, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Mixed Media, Varnish, Wool
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Lithograph, Offset
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Lithograph, Offset
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Plywood
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Watercolor, Fiberboard, Graphite, Gouache
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Plastic, Wood
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Charcoal, Mixed Media
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Textile
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Cardboard, Newsprint, Pencil
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Wood, Color Pencil, Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Wool, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Mulberry Paper, Lithograph
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Plastic, Paper, Ink
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Lithograph, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Cardboard, Plexiglass
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Glass, Mirror
1950s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Steel
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Lithograph, Offset
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Steel
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Handmade Paper
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Gold
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1960s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Felt Pen
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Graphite
1960s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Felt Pen
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Bronze
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic, Newsprint, Paper
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Paint, Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plastic, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Paint, Mixed Media