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
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Steel
Artist Comments
A solitary lemon rests on a table, exuding a subtle blue glow. Soft light brings out its textured skin, creating a contrast with the shadow that pools beneath...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Pastel, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Digital, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Textile, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Digital, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Ceramic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Stone, Granite, Bronze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Enamel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Gold
2010s Contemporary More Art
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Stone, Granite, Bronze, Enamel
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset, Board
2010s Contemporary More Art
Printer's Ink, Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Monoprint, Other Medium, Monotype
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
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Etching, Aquatint, Intaglio
Artist Comments
On a crisp winter morning, the interplay of light and a clear sky with the grays, blacks, and whites of freshly fallen snow on trees captures a timeless beaut...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Wood, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Silk, Paint
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph, Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Cotton
2010s Contemporary More Art
Clay, Glass
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Wool, PVC
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
1990s Contemporary More Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Carbon Pigment
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Clay, Glaze
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Video, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Ink, Offset
Artist Comments
Afternoon at the lake in a classical style. Delicate shadows in the foreground give way to glistening water in the distance. The scene is nicely framed on the...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Thread, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
"This is a view from the clearing of an 18th century stone house that belonged to my art professor at Gettysburg," says artist Jay Jensen. "The painting was i...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Pastel, Gouache
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Silk
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin