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.
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Crayon
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Gouache
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Board
Early 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Oil
1920s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Oil, Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Illustration Board
1960s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Ink, Oil, Cardboard
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Gesso, Board, Acrylic, Oil, Mixed Media, Varnish, Paint
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil, Stretcher Bars
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Raw Linen, Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Bronze
1950s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Ink, Laid Paper, Gouache
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Gouache, Color Pencil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Monotype
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Masonite, Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1940s Contemporary Paintings
Paint, Canvas
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Copper
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Oil
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Gouache
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Board
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Monotype
20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
1990s Contemporary Paintings
Ink, Paper, Wood, Canvas
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Plywood
Contemporary paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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