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.
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Organic Material
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Thread, Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary More Art
Thread, Cotton, Textile, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary More Art
Organic Material
2010s Contemporary More Art
Clay, Stoneware, Glaze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Fabric
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Pencil, Canvas
Late 20th Century Contemporary More Art
Handmade Paper
1950s Contemporary More Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Fiberglass, Plaster, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Etching, Aquatint
1990s Contemporary More Art
Monoprint
1980s Contemporary More Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Yarn, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Wood
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Stone, Granite, Marble, Bronze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Paper, Silk, Screen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Candice Eisenfeld shares the myth of The Dancing Birds and the Flood, "A young shepherd in China interpreted the dances of birds in the sky. He warned the elders in his region about a looming flood, but no-one believed him. Taking matters into his own hands, he made 1000 cranes from paper, working for weeks with little sleep with the wish to keep his townspeople safe. When the floods came, his town was spared heavy destruction while nearby villages were swept away. The young shepherd was later called Yu the Great."
About the Artist
As an American exploring issues of identity, artist Candice Eisenfeld paints through the lens of the first American art...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic
1990s Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin, Polyester, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary More Art
Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Textile, Cotton, Thread, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Cotton, Thread
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Textile, Yarn
2010s Contemporary More Art
Archival Pigment, Resin, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Resin, Wood
1960s Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin, Vinyl
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Board, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Clay, Wood, Glaze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paste, Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Varnish, Screen
Late 19th Century Contemporary More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Plastic
1960s Contemporary More Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Board, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay, Glaze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Offset
2010s Contemporary More Art
Wood
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Board, Permanent Marker
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Ceramic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, ABS, Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Wood, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Maple, Plywood, Screen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Silk, Wood, Panel