Contemporary 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.
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Enamel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Artist Comments
This still life celebrates the simple beauty of homegrown produce. With warm tones and detailed brushwork, artist Steve Boggs captures the essence of his summer...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Textile, Paint, Mixed Media, Fabric, Canvas, Thread, Found Objects, Oil,...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1960s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Egg Tempera, Panel
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic Polymer, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Glaze, Acrylic, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
Three figures in colorful dresses stand gracefully amidst a lush, fantasy garden. Oversized flowers in soft pastel tones add a surreal feel to the scene. The ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
Artist Comments
A solitary patron in a bar abandons his untouched drink and heads to a phone booth, carrying crucial papers in hand. The cigarette he leaves behind continues ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Textile, Paint, Mixed Media, Fabric, Canvas, Coating, Glitter, Oil, Spra...
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Photographic Film, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Per...
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Pastel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Oil, Panel
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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