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.
2010s Contemporary More Art
Granite, Metal, Bronze, Enamel
1970s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Steel, Iron
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay, Glaze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink
2010s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Textile, Canvas, Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay, Glaze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Plastic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Board, Pencil, Color Pencil, Ink
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Steel, Iron
Artist Comments
Alana's Wallpaper series is a juxtaposition between masculine and feminine. "I wanted to create a unique series that stands apart from traditional nature pai...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay, Glaze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Stone
2010s Contemporary More Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Varnish, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Paint
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Oil Pastel, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Metal
Artist Comments
Artist Alana Clumeck presents an image of an elk surrounded by two cockatoos and a kaleidoscope of butterflies. "I was struck by the sheer volume of parrots f...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Yarn
2010s Contemporary More Art
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Inspired by a feline's love for rolling toys, artist Jeff Fleming demonstrates a charming portrait of a cat playing with a green b...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
1920s Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
1980s Contemporary More Art
Clay
2010s Contemporary More Art
Epoxy Resin
2010s Contemporary More Art
Marble
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil, Fabric, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary More Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Screen
1990s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Screen
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Brass, Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Screen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Board
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Textile, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Copper
Artist Comments
Inspired by a summer morning along the Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge, Canada, artist Jo Galang rendered this verdant landscape with soft light washing over the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Textile, Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Etching
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"This ghostly portrait of a man represents a transitory experience and movement between places," says Kristen. Rendered with soft light, the painting mimics t...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Silk, Paint