Contemporary More Art
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 More Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant still life depicts proteas bursting from a square vase and pansies blooming from two slender vases. Through the delicate interplay of pottery, flowers...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Mylar, Ink, Graphite
2010s Contemporary More Art
Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Plexiglass, Acrylic, Yarn
2010s Contemporary More Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Thread, Organic Material, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Wood, Mosaic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A single knob with a leaf connects three cherries. The fruits resemble three sisters whose braids are connected with one bow. Artist Art Tatin used the Flemis...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Digital, Lucite, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Cotton, Thread
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Cotton
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Thread, Sailcloth
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Cotton
2010s Contemporary More Art
Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Glitter, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite, Tea
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Silk, Wood
2010s Contemporary More Art
Wool, Other Medium
2010s Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Wood Panel
1960s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Paper, Magazine Paper, Cotton, Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Textile
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Fiberglass, Plaster, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Fiberglass, Plaster, Paint
Artist Comments
This contemporary oil painting explores the quiet poetry of interior spaces. With a carefully considered composition and layered brushwork, artist David Thelen ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper, C Print
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Thread, Sailcloth
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay, Glaze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Four figures gaze upward at a glowing orb enclosed within geometric shapes. The composition draws inspiration from the messages and symbolism found in occult sc...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Silk, Wood, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Textile, Cotton, Thread, Found Objects
1920s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink
2010s Contemporary More Art
Blown Glass
1980s Contemporary More Art
Wool
Artist Comments
Pink and red roses bloom from a porcelain vase, while tomatoes overflow from a bowl below. A painting of a bug, framed in gold, hangs on a floral-themed wall. I...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic