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Contemporary Figurative Photography

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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.

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Style: Contemporary
Tyler Shields - Helicopter III, Photography 2021, Printed After

Tyler Shields - Helicopter III, Photography 2021, Printed After

By Tyler Shields

Located in Stamford, CT

Series: Provocateur Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura Luster Paper All available sizes and editions: 18" x 18" 30" x 30" 45" x 45" 60" x 60" 70" x 70" Editions of 3 + 2 Artist Proofs...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, C Print

Dance - Limited Edition Black & White Archival Print, 2004, 65x65 cm
Dance - Limited Edition Black & White Archival Print, 2004, 65x65 cm

Dance - Limited Edition Black & White Archival Print, 2004, 65x65 cm

By Ian Sanderson

Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona

Dance - Signed limited edition archival pigment print , 2004 - Edition of 5 - Photographed in Vienna during a Strauss concert. Signed,embossed + numbered by artist with certifi...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, Giclée, Pigment, Ar...

Black and White Photography, Wall Street, New York City, Limited Edition, 19x13
Black and White Photography, Wall Street, New York City, Limited Edition, 19x13

Black and White Photography, Wall Street, New York City, Limited Edition, 19x13

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

Leonard Freed's photographic career is punctuated by epic documentary photo essays with many works from New York City. Wall Street is one of the photographer's iconic 1950s images. ...

Category

1950s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigme...

Steps  - underwater photograph - print on paper 21" x 18"
Steps  - underwater photograph - print on paper 21" x 18"

Steps - underwater photograph - print on paper 21" x 18"

By Alex Sher

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

A light and very becoming underwater photograph of a girl walking down the steps of a swimming pool. The light blue photograph shows no swimsuit neither nudity. The crystalline wate...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Steps  - underwater photograph - archival pigment print 43" x 35"
Steps  - underwater photograph - archival pigment print 43" x 35"

Steps - underwater photograph - archival pigment print 43" x 35"

By Alex Sher

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

This ethereal underwater fine art photograph captures a figure suspended above submerged pool steps, rendered in soft aquamarine and pearl tones. The crystalline water creates a drea...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Office Party, New York, Gelatin Silver Photograph, Signed, 1966, 16x20 Inches
Office Party, New York, Gelatin Silver Photograph, Signed, 1966, 16x20 Inches

Office Party, New York, Gelatin Silver Photograph, Signed, 1966, 16x20 Inches

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

Office Party, New York City, 1966 by Leonard Freed is a gelatin silver photograph, 16 x 20in, signed verso (on back) by the photographer. Photographer F...

Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Children in Harlem, New York, Signed Archival Pigment Print, 19x13, Edition 7/10
Children in Harlem, New York, Signed Archival Pigment Print, 19x13, Edition 7/10

Children in Harlem, New York, Signed Archival Pigment Print, 19x13, Edition 7/10

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

Children, Harlem, New York, USA 1963 by Leonard Freed is a 19" x 13" signed archival pigment print in an edition of 10. Signed by the estate on back of photograph by Freed's widow Brigitte Freed. Available: 7/10. Provenance: Freed estate *** Artist’s Bio: Leonard Freed (1929-2006) was an American photographer from Brooklyn, New York. His "Black in White America" series made him known as a documentarian. Freed worked as a freelance photographer from 1961 onwards and as a Magnum photographer Freed traveled widely abroad and, in the US, photographing African Americans (1964-65), events in Israel (1967-68, 1973), and the New York City police department...

Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigme...

The Turn - underwater photograph - archival pigment print 35x46"
The Turn - underwater photograph - archival pigment print 35x46"

The Turn - underwater photograph - archival pigment print 35x46"

By Alex Sher

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

"The Turn" represents a pivotal moment in contemporary underwater fine art photography, where sculptural form meets fluid dynamics. In this arresting composition, a figure in vibrant...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Breakdown - Contemporary, Polaroid, vintage Cars, Color, Women, 21st Century

Breakdown - Contemporary, Polaroid, vintage Cars, Color, Women, 21st Century

By Kirsten Thys van den Audenaerde

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Breakdown (Bombay Beach) - 2019 50x50cm, Edition of 7 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print based on the Polaroid. Signed on the back and with certificate. Artist inventory PL...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid

Mezcal - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Mezcal - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Mezcal - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Radiant, expansive, and imbued with a sense of quiet narrative, this vivid photograph by Gérard Uféras, captured in 1993, transports the viewer into the heart of Mexico’s agave lands...

Category

1990s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Office Party, New York, Photograph Edition, Black and White, 1966, Signed
Office Party, New York, Photograph Edition, Black and White, 1966, Signed

Office Party, New York, Photograph Edition, Black and White, 1966, Signed

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

Office Party by Leonard Freed is a 13" x 19" limited-edition photograph. The print Ed. 4/5 is signed verso (back of photo) by Brigitte Freed (wife of the ...

Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigme...

Gator Birkin II, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition of 3, 2021
Gator Birkin II, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition of 3, 2021

Gator Birkin II, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition of 3, 2021

By Tyler Shields

Located in Vienna, AT

"Gator Birkin" by Tyler Shields is a bold and visually arresting work that confronts themes of luxury, status, and contradiction. A crocodile reaches toward a highly coveted Hermès B...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Untitled, Landscape With Clouds -  Contemporary Photography - Painting Object
Untitled, Landscape With Clouds -  Contemporary Photography - Painting Object

Untitled, Landscape With Clouds - Contemporary Photography - Painting Object

By Magdalena Peszkowska

Located in Salzburg, AT

Magdalena Peszkowska born in 1980 in Gdańsk, Poland. Studied in Department of Painting at Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (1999-2004). Diploma with special recognition in painting in 2004. The character of Magdalena Peszkowska's works Series Stand is like an poetic archive of memories, which call for a classification and reconstruction of the time of childhood and the intense experience of time with everything around it. Gdansk - where the artist comes from - becomes a mythical place, This city, with a very strong symbolic potential inherent in its history, needs editing from a single point of view. Magdalena Peszkowska uses her own photos or those from the family album. She transfers them to gray field blankets and camp beds with her own secret technology Then she paints on the used objects. Many of her objects show figures from the closest circle of Peszkowska, often it is herself, her family or places close to her in Gdansk. Her objects have intentional signs of use. The field blankets have a sewn-in wooden bar to hang them on the wall. The field military beds...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Metal

Diane Arbus, Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1979 (after)
Diane Arbus, Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1979 (after)

Diane Arbus, Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1979 (after)

By Diane Arbus

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editrice P...

Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Diane Arbus, A Young Brooklyn Family Going for a Sunday Outing, 1979 (after)
Diane Arbus, A Young Brooklyn Family Going for a Sunday Outing, 1979 (after)

Diane Arbus, A Young Brooklyn Family Going for a Sunday Outing, 1979 (after)

By Diane Arbus

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite heliogravure after Diane Arbus (1923–1971), titled A Young Brooklyn Family Going for a Sunday Outing, N.Y.C., originates from the 1979 folio Diane Arbus, Electa Editri...

Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Once We Were Warriors (Stage of Consciousness) starring Radha Mitchell

Once We Were Warriors (Stage of Consciousness) starring Radha Mitchell

By Stefanie Schneider

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Once We Were Warriors (Stage of Consciousness) - part of the 29 Palms, CA project - 2007 - featuring Radha Mitchell 48x46cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. digital C-Print, ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Polaroid, Color

Beau Simmons - The World Needs More Cowgirls, Photography 2023, Printed After
Beau Simmons - The World Needs More Cowgirls, Photography 2023, Printed After

Beau Simmons - The World Needs More Cowgirls, Photography 2023, Printed After

Located in Stamford, CT

Series: The Western Collection Archival Pigment Print Unframed Sizes: 48" x 60" - $11,000.00 75" x 60" - $14,750.00 Framed Sizes: 55" x 67" - $13,500.00 69" x 84" - $20,500.00 Edi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Python Birkin, Snake Leather Birkin choked by Python, Fine Art Photography, 2016
Python Birkin, Snake Leather Birkin choked by Python, Fine Art Photography, 2016

Python Birkin, Snake Leather Birkin choked by Python, Fine Art Photography, 2016

By Tyler Shields

Located in Vienna, AT

Iconic Snake leather birkin bag, being choked by a python snake, photographed by Tyler Shields in 2016. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. In this haunting still life, a live ball python intertwines with a snakeskin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Serena Puppet - Vintage Photograph - 1980s

Serena Puppet - Vintage Photograph - 1980s

Located in Roma, IT

Serena Puppet - Vintage Photograph is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1980s. Puppetry of "Samson and Delilah" Good conditions with slight foxing.

Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

"Juno V" - 3-D motion lenticular figurative nude photo framed, Contemporary
"Juno V" - 3-D motion lenticular figurative nude photo framed, Contemporary

"Juno V" - 3-D motion lenticular figurative nude photo framed, Contemporary

By Jeff Robb

Located in New York, NY

This is a 3-D motion lenticular - its moves when you walk past it and it is incredibly 3-D there are little lenses on the face that create this effect. It is professionally framed a...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Plastic, Photographic Film, Lenticular

Cicciolina Puppet - Vintage Photograph - 1980s

Cicciolina Puppet - Vintage Photograph - 1980s

Located in Roma, IT

Cicciolina Puppet - Vintage Photograph is a black and white photograph realized in the 1980s. Good conditions with slight foxing.

Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Sara Puppet - Vintage Photograph - 1980s

Sara Puppet - Vintage Photograph - 1980s

Located in Roma, IT

Sara Puppet (Ciriaco De Mita) - Vintage Photograph is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1980s. Good conditions with slight foxing. Typed description in Italian o...

Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Taking Turns (Till Death Do Us Part) - 21st Century, Polaroid, Nude Photography

Taking Turns (Till Death Do Us Part) - 21st Century, Polaroid, Nude Photography

By Stefanie Schneider

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Taking Turns (Till Death Do Us Part) - 2006 40x48cm,. Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid, Archival Paper

Robert Mapplethorpe, Hand in Fire, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)
Robert Mapplethorpe, Hand in Fire, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)

Robert Mapplethorpe, Hand in Fire, from A Season in Hell, 1986 (after)

By Robert Mapplethorpe

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite photogravure after Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989), titled Hand in Fire, from the folio A Season in Hell, originates from the 1986 edition published by The Limited Edi...

Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Cuban Socialists - Historical Photo - 1960s

Cuban Socialists - Historical Photo - 1960s

Located in Roma, IT

Cuban Socialists - Historical Photo is a black and white vintage photograph realized in the 1960s. It belongs to historical albumen including photo reportages of historical events an...

Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Metamorphosis. Color photography
Metamorphosis. Color photography

Metamorphosis. Color photography

Located in Miami Beach, FL

From the smallest of seeds the tree grows, striving for the skies. Branches form, ramify and blossom in the rhythm of time. The human figure transforms. The elements depend on each o...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Rag Paper, Archival Pigment

Khomeini Returning To Iran - Vintage Photograph - 1983

Khomeini Returning To Iran - Vintage Photograph - 1983

Located in Roma, IT

Khomeini Returning To Iran is a vintage black and white photograph realized on 2/01/79 in Tehran. Khomeini leader of the revolution of 1979 in Iran, came to Iran, after 15 years of ...

Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Formula 1 Ferrari - Fernando Alonso, Signed limited edition still life, Race
Formula 1 Ferrari - Fernando Alonso, Signed limited edition still life, Race

Formula 1 Ferrari - Fernando Alonso, Signed limited edition still life, Race

By Laurent Campus

Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona

Formula 1 Ferrari - Signed limited edition archival pigment print, 2011 - Edition of 5 Formula 1 , Preseason test, 2011 , Barcelona, Spain. Fernando Alonso for Ferrari Photo/R...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Giclée, Pigment, Archival Pig...

Garage

Garage

By Luke Smalley

Located in New York, NY

Digital C-print Stamped and numbered, verso 24 x 20 inches (Edition of 10) 40 x 30 inches (Edition of 5) 60 x 50 inches (Edition of 3) This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Please note that prices increase as editions sell. Luke Smalley was an American artist known for his photographic work, which pairs a coolly minimalist aesthetic with a retro nostalgia. Images from his early in his career were inspired by fitness manuals and yearbooks c. 1910. This is not surprising since Smalley graduated with a degree in sports medicine from Pepperdine University and worked for a number of years as a model and personal trainer. Smalley shot the bulk of his photographs in his home state of Pennsylvania, using real high school athletes as models. “Exercise at Home” is Luke Smalley’s second major body of work. Shot in and around the tiny Pennsylvania town the artist called home, Smalley revisits themes of adolescent growing pains acted out under the guise of earnest athleticism. Teenagers engage in simple yet strange competitions meant to establish their standings amongst one another. Two youths practice boating safety...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

C Print

'Harvest Dance' Movement dance figures gold yellow orange fire nature wild
'Harvest Dance' Movement dance figures gold yellow orange fire nature wild

'Harvest Dance' Movement dance figures gold yellow orange fire nature wild

By Sophia Milligan

Located in Penzance, GB

'Harvest Dance' Limited edition archival photograph. Unframed, hand signed and numbered _________________ Late August, captured in the glow of the evening sun, my daughters join han...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée

Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin
Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin

Swan-Like Embrace (Paris) by Nan Goldin

By Nan Goldin

Located in Dubai, Dubai

By Nan Goldin Swan-Like Embrace, Paris (2001), printed later, 2021 C-Print on paper 8 x 5 1/8 inches Signed verso (please see image 3) From the 2021 timed release, published by Pain.

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

C Print

World Series Parade, New York Photo, Gelatin Silver Print, Signed, 11x14, 1954
World Series Parade, New York Photo, Gelatin Silver Print, Signed, 11x14, 1954

World Series Parade, New York Photo, Gelatin Silver Print, Signed, 11x14, 1954

By Leonard Freed

Located in New york, NY

World Series Parade, New York City, 1954 by Leonard Freed, is an 11" x 14" gelatin silver later ("lifetime") print, signed on verso (back of print) by the photographer and stamped (magnum). The photograph is handprinted by Leonard Freed. Parade by Freed captures the joy of two majorettes en route in the streets of the city for the celebration of the New York Giants...

Category

1950s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film

Henry watching Athena Dance I - Stay, diptych - AP 1/2, 128x125cm and 38x37cm
Henry watching Athena Dance I - Stay, diptych - AP 1/2, 128x125cm and 38x37cm

Henry watching Athena Dance I - Stay, diptych - AP 1/2, 128x125cm and 38x37cm

By Stefanie Schneider

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Henry watching Athena Dance (128x126cm) & Sam, Interior Hospital (37x36cm) (Stay), diptych, 2006, Artist Proof 1/2, analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on the Polaroid...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid

"Leading Horse", Kansas City, 1997

"Leading Horse", Kansas City, 1997

By Pete Kelly

Located in Hudson, NY

This will be shipped direct from the artist to you or your framer. In this photograph a silhouetted horse follows a silhouetted figure closely as they trek through a field. The use of abstracted figures helps emphasize the emotional aspect of Kelly's main theme: the bond between humans and animals. Pete Kelly finds his inspiration in nature and the landscape. Specifically focusing on, "The reclamation by nature of urban settings", Kelly finds a particularly strong aesthetic and power in the beauty of the urban landscape. "I try to see beauty around me, drawing beauty from ugliness by capturing close up textures of fading paint or graffiti, or by reducing the shape of the subject to silhouette." Kelly's fascination with photography, the quality, and flexibility of the medium began at a very early age. Born in England in 1966, and as the son of a military man, Kelly spent most of his childhood growing up in West Germany. After leaving school Kelly enrolled in a photography course with the R. A. F Photographic Unit, based in Wildenrath in Germany. Although this initial training lasted only six months, it established a life long passion and dedication to photography. Already an avid traveller, Kelly initially decided to return to the UK,
to study Graphic Design at Stockport College, before moving to America in 1987. After completing an Internship at an innovative commercial photography studio in America,
Kelly began working as a Photographers Assistant. Working closely with a range of photographers allowed him to intrinsically develop his own
refined sense of aesthetic as well as develop and master photographic theory and technique. Now working as a Fine Art Photographer in his own right,
 Pete Kelly utilizes the most cutting edge equipment and techniques,
 painting with photography by compositing and layering photographs...

Category

1990s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Change, Transformation and Metamorphosis. Color photography
Change, Transformation and Metamorphosis. Color photography

Change, Transformation and Metamorphosis. Color photography

Located in Miami Beach, FL

"From the smallest of seeds the tree grows, striving for the skies. Branches form, ramify and blossom in the rhythm of time. The human figure transforms. The elements depend on each ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Rag Paper, Archival Pigment

Body, Sepia. Nude. Sepia Limited Edition Photograph
Body, Sepia. Nude. Sepia Limited Edition Photograph

Body, Sepia. Nude. Sepia Limited Edition Photograph

By Ricky Cohete

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Channeling the energy of “water-signs” in astrology, he captures these mysterious men thru a romantic lens. The embrace of the shadows and the light mixed with the gaze of their bodi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Woman in Sheer Dress, Silver Gelatin Black & White Photograph by Art Shay
Woman in Sheer Dress, Silver Gelatin Black & White Photograph by Art Shay

Woman in Sheer Dress, Silver Gelatin Black & White Photograph by Art Shay

By Art Shay

Located in Chicago, IL

At what appears to be a costume party, this beautiful woman, draped in a sheer tunic, must have been the center of attention. Dressed as Aphrodite, she clearly commands those around her. With his camera as his constant companion, Shay was able to capture moments of everyday life and make them extraordinary. This artwork is currently unframed. Contact gallery for framing options. Art Shay Woman in Sheer Dress silver gelatin print 20h x 16w in 50.80h x 40.64w cm 7ED.1.20.12005 ASY12005 “Art Shay’s photography shakes you up, sets you down gently, pats you on the head and then kicks you in the ass.” Roger Ebert “[Shay’s work] ranks with some of the greats of the 20th century.” Ellen & Richard Sandor, Renowned photo collectors “I’ve admired Art Shay’s work for almost forty years, and he keeps getting better. He can do anything with a camera, but what he mostly does is capture real moments and transform them into visual poetry. His work continues to be an inspiration to me.” William Friedkin, Director of French Connection “Art Shay is one of our finest photographers. His work over the past fifty years has artfully captured the beauty, humor, and pathos of America.” Studs Terkel “Art Shay is one of the best photojournalists I know. I’ve been a fan of his work since the early 1950s - before the launch of playboy magazine.” Hugh Hefner “Algren, Terkel, Royko, they gave us a voice. Art Shay gave us a face.” Tony Fitzpatrick, Chicago Artist “Art Shay is America’s Cartier-Bresson.” Thomas Dyja, author of The Third Coast “Chicago’s Art Shay in many ways is to American photography what Nelson Algren was to American writing: that rare and absolutely necessary citizen who’s blessed with a cold eye, a clear head, and a warm heart. What is it about Chicago that keeps giving us men like this?” Russell Banks, Novelist “The best images of Simone de Beauvoir and her times have been passed down to us by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gisele Freund, Robert Doisneau, Georges Brassai, and in America, the Chicago-based Art Shay, all world-class photographers.” Christophe Loviny, Art Editor, Paris “Art Shay is the best photo-journalist Chicago ever produced.” Arthur Siegel, photographer; IIT Institute of Design President “I have one of Art Shay’s pictures over my desk. It reminds me every morning of my Chicago roots. Arts photos, like me, have the Chicago accent, which may be to say he’s telling you the truth. I think it takes a realist to see the humor in things. I know it takes a realist to see the depths of tragedy. Art’s work is so real it feels like a Madison Street guy tapping me on the forearm.” David Mamet

Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Savannah Cat - Vintage Photograph - 1960s

Savannah Cat - Vintage Photograph - 1960s

Located in Roma, IT

Savannah Cat Vintage Photograph was realized in the 1960s. Good conditions. Stamped on the rear.

Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Siren  - Contemporary, Polaroid, Photograph, Childhood. 21st Century
Siren  - Contemporary, Polaroid, Photograph, Childhood. 21st Century

Siren - Contemporary, Polaroid, Photograph, Childhood. 21st Century

By Cristina Fontsare

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Siren (2016) - 20x25cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Giclée Print on Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta, based on the original Fuji Instant Film (not mounted). Signed on back with...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Paper, Polaroid, Archival Pigment, Color, Archival Ink

Worth Haute Couture printemps été 2003 - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Worth Haute Couture printemps été 2003 - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Worth Haute Couture printemps été 2003 - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

“Worth Haute Couture printemps été 2003” by Gérard Uféras is a compelling exploration of form, illusion, and the sculptural power of couture. Cropped with deliberate precision, the p...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Emilio Lussu - Vintage Photo - 1950s

Emilio Lussu - Vintage Photo - 1950s

Located in Roma, IT

Emilio Lussu is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1950s. Good conditions.

Category

1950s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5 and Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5, Gellert Bath House
Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5 and Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5, Gellert Bath House

Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5 and Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5, Gellert Bath House

By Michael James O’Brien

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Photographer Michael James O'Brien documented with beautiful and unique images the final part of Matthew Barney's lyric opera cycle about a tragic love story set in romantic Budapest...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Black and White

Matthew Barney, Isle of Man and Satyr, Drawing Restraint 7, Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney, Isle of Man and Satyr, Drawing Restraint 7, Matthew Barney

Matthew Barney, Isle of Man and Satyr, Drawing Restraint 7, Matthew Barney

By Michael James O’Brien

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Photographer Michael James O'Brien documented with beautiful and unique images the final part of Matthew Barney's lyric opera cycle about a tragic love story set in romantic Budapest...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Black and White, Archival Pigment

Palm Trees on Wilcox -  Contemporary, Polaroid, mounted under Plexi
Palm Trees on Wilcox -  Contemporary, Polaroid, mounted under Plexi

Palm Trees on Wilcox - Contemporary, Polaroid, mounted under Plexi

By Stefanie Schneider

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Palm Trees on Wilcox (Stranger than Paradise) - 1999 78x76cm, Edition of 100. Archival C-Print based on the original Polaroid. Mounted under matte Plexiglass. Artist inventory number: 398. Signed on back and Certificate. Stefanie Schneider – Palm Trees on Wilcox...

Category

1990s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Plexiglass, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid

Eminem 1999 (unframed) photo figurative contemporary red portrait
Eminem 1999 (unframed) photo figurative contemporary red portrait

Eminem 1999 (unframed) photo figurative contemporary red portrait

By Chris Buck

Located in New York, NY

CHRIS BUCK Born 1964, Toronto, Canada Lives and works in New York, NY ​ Eminem 1999 Ed 10 Artist Statement: For any serious photographer their best portraits are ultimately also self-portraits. The discomfort, oddness and frustration in my photographs are the evidence of my uneasiness. As I've grown more mature and more comfortable in my skin I've been able to recognize the struggle and vulnerability in my sitters, bringing my work to a point of collaboration with them. Where once I sought conflict with the subjects now we work to build something strange and wonderful together. ​ Solo Exhibitions 2017 Uneasy, Krause Gallery, New York, NY 2014 Turn of the Century Portraiture, Galerie Youn, Montreal, QC 2013 Presence: The Invisible Portrait, Foley Gallery, New York, NY 2002 The Sound of Music: New portraits of Contemporary Musicians, Other Music, New York 1998 FanClub, Saba Gallery, New York, NY ​ Group Exhibitions 2016 Winning the White House: From Press Prints to Selfies, curated by Susan Carlson and Claartje van Dijk for the International Center of Photography, New York, NY; exhibited at the Southampton Arts Center, Southhampton, NY 2013 Rebels, curated by Carl Saytor, Photoville Brooklyn. 2012 Traces of Myth. Curated by Brenda Massie, Hagedorn Foundation Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2009 Wild Things: Photography for Animal Lovers. Curated by Greg Garry, Stricola Gallery, New York, NY Michael Jackson Doesn’t Quit: An exhibition featuring works related to the entertainer and social phenomenon, Michael Jackson. Curated by Mike Ruiz and Ben Aqua, The Future Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2003 How Human: Group photography exhibition related to DNA, International Center of Photography, New York, NY 1995 Limbo: Collaborative show with Alex & Leja Kress, Limbo, New York, NY 1990 Stretch Camera: Group photography exhibition featuring images made exclusively with the Kodak disposable panoramic camera, The Palmerston, Toronto, Canada ​ Public Collections The International Center of Photography, New York, NY ​ Books 2016 UNEASY: Chris Buck Portraits 1986-2016, Norman Stuart Publishing, New York, NY 2012 PRESENCE: The Invisible Portrait, monograph, Kehrer Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany 2010 New York Portrait of a City, various artists, Taschen, New York, NY 2005 CBGB & OMFUG: Thirty Years from the Home of Underground Rock, various artists, Abrams, New York 2004 The World’s Top Photographers: Portraits, various artists, Rotovision SA, Hove, U.K. 2002 Hip Hop Immortals, various artists, Immortal Brands, New York, NY 1992 Shooting Stars, various artists, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, NY Angry Women, various artists, RE/Search, San Francisco, CA ​ Awards 2016 American Photography Images of the Year (Paul Giamatti) 2015 American Photography Images of the Year (Lena Dunham) 2014 American Photography Images of the Year (Nick Offerman, Vice Office, President Barack Obama) 2013 Lürzer’s Archive 200 Best Ad Photographers 2014/ 2015 (President Barack Obama) Communication Arts Photography Annual Best of 2012 (President Barack Obama) 2012 American Photography Images of the Year (Michele Bachmann, Presence Jack Nicklaus, Presence Michael Stipe) Lürzer’s Archive 200 Best Ad Photographers 2012/ 2013 (George H. W. & Barbara Bush, Steve Coogan, Diesel elephant ad) 2011 American Photography Images of the Year (David Byrne) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Editorial (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Corp/ Design (MS Office for Macs) Communication Arts Photography Annual Best of 2011 (Trey Parker & Matt Stone) 2010 American Photography Images of the Year (Harold Ramis) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Editorial (Jay Leno) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Advertising (Old Spice) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Web Design (Chrisbuck) Communication Arts Photography Annual Best of 2010 (Jeb Bush) 2008 Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Editorial (Vice Boys) Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Personal Work (Isn’t Bill Gates, Isn’t Justin Timberlake) American Photography Images of the Year (Vice Boys, Isn’t Bill Gates, Isn’t Justin Timberlake) 2007 Annual Arnold Newman Portrait Prize (first recipient) Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Personal Work (Imagination, Common Sense) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Editorial (Donald Trump) 2006 22nd Annual PDN/Nikon Self-Promotion Award (Group Promo with JR) Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Editorial (Steve Martin, Jerry Stiller, Steve Carell, Rivers Cuomo, David Cronenberg) American Photography Images of the Year (Philip Lorca diCorcia) Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Personal Work 2005 Communication Arts Photography Annual Best of 2005 (Wes Anderson) Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Editorial (Wes Anderson) Photo District News Photo Annual Awards in Advertising (Moviefone) 2004 Communication Arts Photography Annual Best of 2004 (Ryan Adams) Photo District News Photo Annual Award in Editorial (Genesis P-Orridge) American Photography Images of the Year (Ryan Adams, Dave Matthews...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Film

"Look at Me" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" in Ed. of 7 by Olha Stepanian
"Look at Me" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" in Ed. of 7 by Olha Stepanian

"Look at Me" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" in Ed. of 7 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Look at Me" Black & White Photography 31" x 31" in Ed. of 7 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Contemporary figurative photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary figurative photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of green, yellow, orange, blue and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Tyler Shields, Brian Finke, Stefanie Schneider, and David Drebin. Frequently made by artists working with Polaroid, and Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary figurative photography, so small editions measuring 3.04 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $110 and tops out at $40,000, while the average work sells for $701.