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
Textile, Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Digital Pigment, Pencil, Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
2010s Contemporary More Art
Granite, Metal
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
20th Century Contemporary More Art
Metal
2010s Contemporary More Art
Thread, Organic Material, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Pastel, Gouache
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Clay, Glass
1970s Contemporary More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary More Art
Metal, Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paste, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Gold, Silver, Brass
1990s Contemporary More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
Soft pink roses bloom at various stages, from buds to fully opened ones. Light and shadow play across their petals, enhancing their subtle texture and color. Ri...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Using thick brushstrokes and dripping paint, artist Alana Clumeck rendered this white stallion in a powerful and intuitive pose. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
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
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Thread
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary More Art
Glass, Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Thread, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Clay, Stoneware, Glaze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Thread
1940s Contemporary More Art
Mosaic
1980s Contemporary More Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Thread, Sailcloth
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Wool
2010s Contemporary More Art
Cotton, Silk, Paint
2010s Contemporary More Art
Ceramic, Earthenware
Artist Comments
A whimsical and dramatic portrait of a stylish figure posed with a lion. "I wanted to create a striking fantasy, playing up the sophistication of the model ag...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Oil
1990s Contemporary More Art
Paint
2010s Contemporary More Art
Iron, Metal, Steel
2010s Contemporary More Art
Textile, Silk
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Paper, Color, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Ink, Pen
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Canvas, Digital
2010s Contemporary More Art
Fabric, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
Artist Comments
"This horse was just one in the midst of a crowd at the Santa Fe rodeo - a group that was waiting in the pens behind the action," shares artist Heather Foster...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary More Art
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Giclée
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