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.
$4,066
Trees 2 June 15:42 - Modern Nature Painting, Landscape, Forest, Contemplativ
Located in Salzburg, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Canvas, Oil
Yellow Lily - Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed, Contemporary, 24x60 in
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting features yellow lilies. Sandra Goldie’s artwork has been praised by one of Quebec’s leading abstract artists. Leopold Plotek described Go...
Canvas, Acrylic
Point of Balance
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, flowers, a vase, and a fragment of an architectural form create a space of quiet co-presence. The objects do not construct a narrative or strive for symbolic completen...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,200Sale Price|30% Off
Old World New World Acrylic Painting, 59x39in, Modern Contrast
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Old World New World", acrylic on canvas, 59x39in, 150x100cm Large original, one-of-a-kind, painting. Shipped rolled in a tube from Europe . Free shipping for items over $500 with 1s...
Canvas, Acrylic
In My White Boots - Colorful Abstract Feminine Figurative Still Life Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Tales By Moonlight 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Landscapes, Modern City, Oil
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The harbor town hummed with a low, rhythmic energy as the sun dipped below the horizon. Shadows stretched long and ominous, swallowing the vibrant colors of the day. But as the last ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Geometric House Painting Small Scale Minimal Architectural Composition Framed
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Minimal geometric house painting with colorful toy-like forms and soft architectural landscape painted in acrylic on canvas. This small-scale acrylic on canvas by María Magán Lampón...
Canvas, Acrylic
![[Bruce-Sargeant (1898-1938)] Two Wrestlers on Opposing Teams](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1898-1938-two-wrestlers-on-opposing-teams-for-sale-picture-2/a_9323/a_182089621781973162067/Beard_Mark_Bruce_Sargeant_1898_1938_Two_Wrestlers_on_Opposing_Teams_framed_1200_master.jpg?width=240)
![[Bruce-Sargeant (1898-1938)] Two Wrestlers on Opposing Teams](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1898-1938-two-wrestlers-on-opposing-teams-for-sale/a_9323/a_182089621781973135668/Beard_Mark_Bruce_Sargeant_1898_1938_Two_Wrestlers_on_Opposing_Teams_unframed_1200_master.jpg?width=240)
[Bruce-Sargeant (1898-1938)] Two Wrestlers on Opposing Teams
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Signed in red, u.r. Oil on canvas 20 x 18 inches (91.4 x 61 cm) Price includes $150 additional cost of framing This work is offered by CLAMP in New York City
Oil
After the Game (Figurative Painting, Two Men in Athletic Uniforms by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative portrait painting of a handsome young men "After the Game", By Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, a...
Canvas, Oil
Summer - Contemporary Impressionistic Painting of a Landscape
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Summer 140 x 200 cm (not framed) oil on canvas On the pictures we also show you the artist receiving the flowers on our opening of this exhibition september 3th 2023 i...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Yellow Smudge - Vibrant Yellow Tone Abstract Figurative Sculptural Wall Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
Blue Silence
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Blue Silence Series: Birds Blue Silence captures a solitary pelican drifting quietly through a deep blue landscape suspended between water and shadow. Emerging from broad, expressiv...
Canvas, Acrylic
Strawberry Red Deep Pocket Painting 219, original painting, still life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Pink Bloom Damson 220 (canvas size 7x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, ...
Canvas, Oil
"Blue Grasshopper"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Blue Grasshopper is about freedom of movement and freedom of choice; unity with the Universe and individuality of experience. It is about beauty in different rhythms. It is about the...
Canvas, Acrylic
Gale - Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Framed, 32x26 in
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting was inspired by nature. Sandra Goldie’s artwork has been praised by one of Quebec’s leading abstract artists. Leopold Plotek described th...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,800
Blue Dots IV - Pink Tone Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$1,394
New Stories/6 – Contemporary Abstract Mountain Painting in Blue Grey and Rose
By HELEN MOUNT
Located in Zofingen, AG
This new series marks a return to landscape painting, reinterpreted through a contemporary, abstract lens. Familiar horizons dissolve into layers of color, light, and emotion, creati...
Acrylic
With Girls on a Random Friday Night
Located in Zofingen, AG
With Girls on a Random Friday Night is about the quiet rituals that keep us close to ourselves and to each other. In a world obsessed with productivity, comparison, and always moving...
Canvas, Acrylic
$450
Africa Motifs 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$450
Africa Motifs 6 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$450
With You - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Tos...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Homecoming - Bright Ethereal Green Abstract Painting, Signed, 50x50 CM
Located in Silverthorne, CO
My first painting back in the Italy Studio, where the nature around me is still veiled by winter, but the tiny buds on the tree branches and the primrose carpeting the forest floor a...
Oil
$9,500
Joy
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on wood painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt...
Oil, Wood Panel
So Close, So Far
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Blue,White,Indigo, navy 21 x 61" oil painting on canvas Inspired by the drama of nature and light, Cynthia creates abstracted landscapes with oil on canvas.
Canvas, Oil
Talking with You
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting reflects a quiet moment shared by two people whose conversation seems untouched by time. They may be close friends or perhaps a couple — the kind of connection where wo...
Canvas, Acrylic
When the time slowed for us - Contemporary Architecture House Oil Painting
By Lilly Muth
Located in DE
Lilly Muth's architectural paintings transport viewers on a visual journey to a different world, where imagination knows no bounds and the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur...
Canvas, Oil
Rodeo Rouge - Abstract Figurative Cowgirl Pinup Portrait Painting on Paper Map
By Jesse Black
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jesse’s imagery often merges playful and gritty elements, blending floral patterns, vintage-inspired designs, and bold outlines with a touch of whimsy. His artwork exudes a sense of ...
Paint, Paper, Acrylic
In The Presence of Fragrant Bliss - Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
New Girl in Town
Located in Zofingen, AG
New Girl in Town captures that delicate, almost imperceptible feeling of being slightly out of rhythm with the world around you — where everything seems settled, familiar, already un...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,283
Landscape 20 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 20 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
Pink Ascension Beyond The Moon & Stars
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hu...
Gold Leaf
$807
Olive groves, Corfu & Olive groves at night, diptych, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Olive groves is a contemporary piece based on olive groves by the sea in Corfu. Sketches were made on-site and the canvas painted in my Devon studio . Additional Information: Acryl...
Canvas, Acrylic
Searching for Self
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 100×120 cm (overall size with stretching 110×130 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled «Searching for Self» is the first work in the Self-Discovery se...
Canvas, Acrylic
Pugna 061 by Chidy Wayne, Minimalist Style, Large Format
By Chidy Wayne
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Chidy Wayne (b. 1981, Spain) is an artist based in Barcelona. Over the years, he has established himself as a recognized figure in the art world, developing a personal artistic langu...
Mixed Media, Textile
Stories from the Sea III - Wowen Landscape Painting, Wowen and Painted Artwork
Located in Salzburg, AT
Stories from the Sea III, handwoven abstract landscape, linen yarn, organic cotton, 70 x 80 cm, 2021. Canvas is entirely constructed on a weaving loom. Each of the steps of the ...
Textile, Linen, Yarn
Culture Identity 1 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Modern Women Painting
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist The...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Protected Truth -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
"The Fish Bowl", Building Facade with Fish and Landscape Mixed Media
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"The Fish Bowl" is a one-of-a-kind piece created by Eustace Mamba. This original artwork made of oils and acrylics on sewn mixed media measures 12”h x 12”w. It ships with a gallery-...
Canvas, Paint, Oil, Other Medium, Fabric
Passport 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Modern
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$805
Circle Pink Lemon - Original Vibrant Abstract Fruit Still Life Painting on Panel
By Will Beger
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Will Beger and his contemporary-minimalist paintings take on an entirely unique approach to southwest art. Influenced by his youth and inspired by nature, he effortlessly captures a ...
Acrylic, Panel
Guy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Africa, Love
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$650
Nicole - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Africa, Love
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,283
Landscape 07 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 07 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,350
Golden Shade of Love - Large Scale Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Pleasure - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Muriel Chazalon, "End of day" Oil on canvas, Contemporary Landscape
Located in Montfort l’Amaury, FR
Muriel Chazalon (b. 1957) – Fin de journée (End of Day) Oil on canvas, 2023, 31½ × 47¼ in. (80 × 120 cm) signed on the back Fin de journée is a large-scale landscape painting by Mur...
Canvas, Oil
$2,850
Morning Blooming - Butter Yellow Floral Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$4,090Sale Price|20% Off
Large Contemporary Abstract Painting Gestural Mixed Media Mediterranean Light
By Ángel Celada
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Large contemporary abstract painting with gestural marks and layered mixed media textures inspired by Mediterranean light and atmosphere. This work by Ángel Celada develops an open ...
Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board, Wax Crayon, Wax
Delight of Waves by Marylin Cavin - acrylic contemporary people painting
Located in DE
Marylin Cavin is a French-Swiss artist who completed her art studies in Paris, where she lived for about thirty years. For the past 25 years, she has regularly exhibited in galleries...
Canvas, Acrylic
Culture Identity 9 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Modern Women Painting
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist The...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Already Ascendant - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Already Ascendant reflects the fragile edge between hesitation and potential. It is a meditation on opportunity, choice, and the fleeting nature of decisive moments. Rich textures an...
Canvas, Oil
$675
Love Tide Washes In - Mixed Media Street Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Spotted Pond - Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Framed, Contemporary
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large abstract acrylic horizontal painting was inspired by nature. Sandra Goldie’s artwork has been praised by one of Quebec’s leading abstract artists. Leopold Plotek describe...
Canvas, Acrylic
$675
Love Bomb - Original Minimalist Black and White Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Threshold of Maturity. Series “Primordial Garden”
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work speaks of a moment of transition, when fullness has already taken place but has not yet become rest. After the time of blossoming and generous flourishing, the orchard ente...
Paper, Watercolor
$10,000
Grass Blue Wild Flower - Sky Blue Periwinkle Magenta Abstract Painting, 2022
By Josette Urso
Located in Kent, CT
Thoughtfully combined sections of varying textures and areas of pattern, stripes, circles, dots and undulations in cheerful, exuberant color. Little moments in luminous shades of sky...
Canvas, Oil
Autumn Northsea 2 - 21st Century Contemporary landscape painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Joost Verhagen Autumn Northsea 2 45 x 55 cm Acrylic paint on canvas We ship worldwide for free in a wooden crate, framed as seen on the pictures. Because of the constantly changing...
Canvas, Acrylic
Blush
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler is best known for contemporary paintings of water that bridge realism and abstraction. At close range, her surfaces appear loose and ambiguous, but from a distance ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,750Sale Price|25% Off
Philosopher Original Oil Painting Canvas Surreal 30x38in Signed Paula Craioveanu
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Philosopher" . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped rolled in a tube from Europe to the USA using DHL or FedEx, no custom or import fees in the US. Shipped rol...
Canvas, Oil
Pink Flamingo
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Pink Flamingo captures a quiet moment of stillness hidden within dense green surroundings. Emerging softly from layers of expressive brushstrokes, the solitary flamingo becomes both ...
Canvas, Acrylic
The artist and activist is the subject of a new show at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.
Manhattan's Acquavella Galleries is showing a group of the artist's monumental works that have never been seen together.
Koloman Moser smashed the conservative conventions of art and design in fin-de-siècle Vienna. On the 100th anniversary of his death, the Austrian designer is being celebrated for his radically modern creations.