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
Ceramic, Earthenware
2010s Contemporary More Art
Gesso, Fabric, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
1970s Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic
1970s Contemporary More Art
Etching
2010s Contemporary More Art
Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Iron, Metal, Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Pastel, Gouache
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Brass
1990s Contemporary More Art
Brass
Artist Comments
As the sun slowly sets behind the headlands, a bold and colorful drama unfolds above. This painting is on a gallery wrapped canvas with all sides finished in...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink
2010s Contemporary More Art
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Spray Paint
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Earthenware
2010s Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Charcoal
Artist Comments
Artist Shuxing Fan paints a rippling pond on a misty cloudy day. The composition, color, and brushwork follow classical landscape t...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Linocut
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic
1970s Contemporary More Art
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary More Art
Giclée
Artist Comments
Sometimes I paint objects that I think are "pretty." China, flowers, ribbons. Soft colors. It still needs a nice design. A center of interest. It has to stay...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Wool
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Delicate lilac flowers fill a glass vase, while a fallen cluster rests beside it, adding a natural touch. Gentle light filters through the scene, adding a warm ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Wool, Yarn
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Resin
2010s Contemporary More Art
Granite, Metal
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil, Ink
1940s Contemporary More Art
Mosaic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
1970s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Pastel, Acrylic, Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Tapestry, Wool, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil