Contemporary Figurative Paintings
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.
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Ink
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Paper
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil Pastel
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Tempera
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Tempera
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Pencil, Watercolor
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Tempera
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Tempera
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Tempera
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Tempera
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Pastel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Plaster, Wood, Ink, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Masonite, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Masonite, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Other Medium, Archival Paper, Handmade Paper, Pen, Felt Pen, Permanent M...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Masonite, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Canvas, Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil