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
Linen, Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Steve Boggs used his homegrown Better Bay tomato as the subject for this still-life oil painting. Centered in warm sunlight, the fruit's vibrant red-oran...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Encaustic, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Sumi Ink, Watercolor, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Twelve miles from the nearest paved road, the Mojave phone booth was set up in 1948 for use by the miners in that area. It underwent several upgrades, the las...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Two pears rest on a wooden surface. The light accentuates their blemished yellow skin with reddish blush, along with their curvy form. A curling leaf adorns one...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Encaustic, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
Early 2000s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Board, Glass
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Birch, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Fabric, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gouache, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha displays an engaging postmodern scene of nature. Flourishing exotic flowers give shade to two ducks sprawling by t...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Metal
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Wool, Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel
Contemporary paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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