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Contemporary Portrait 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
Period: 1950s
Nikita Krushchev, Black and White Photography 1950s of Cold War Russian Leader
Located in New york, NY
Nikita Khrushchev in front of Lincoln Memorial, 1959, Washington DC by Burt Glinn is one of the photographer's iconic works of historic importance. T...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Silver Gelatin

Katharine Hepburn, Black and White Photography of Hollywood Actress 1950s
Located in New york, NY
Katharine Hepburn, 1959 by Burt Glinn is a black and white celebrity photograph. A classic black and white portrait of the legendary American actress on the set, Glinn photographed t...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Katharine Hepburn, Black and White Portrait Photography of Hollywood Star 1950s
Located in New york, NY
Burt Glinn photographed the 1950s Hollywood actress and celebrity Katharine Hepburn during the filming of Tennessee William's "Suddenly Last Summer." The iconic Hepburn is captured j...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film

Jack Kerouac, Black and White Photograph of Beat Generation Author with Friend
Located in New york, NY
The black and white photograph from the 1950s captures beatnik hipster writer Jack Kerouac in dark glasses, wearing a beret and friend Barbara Ferrara. Beat Couple, 1959 by Burt Gl...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Marlon Brando, Libertyville, Illinois, 1950 - Silver Gelatin Print
Located in Chicago, IL
On assignment for Life Magazine in 1950, Art Shay photographed Marlon Brando at his family farm in Libertyville, Illinois, just north of Chicago. Looking straight into Art's lens, Brando is innocent of the fame that is about to become his world. He went on to a career spanning sixty years including winning two Oscars for Best Actor. This photograph is unframed. Contact the gallery for framing options. Art Shay Brando Portrait, 1950 silver gelatin print 20h x 16w in 50.80h x 40.64w cm ASY12088 “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

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Waiting for Fidel Castro, Havana, Photographs of Cuba 1950s
Located in New york, NY
Waiting for Fidel Castro, 1959 by American photographer Burt Glinn is a series of (2) photos, each photo is 9.5" x 12” - they are gelatin silver RC press prints, authenticated by the...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Seattle Tubing Society, Black and White Documentary Photography, Summer
Located in New york, NY
Seattle Tubing Society, 1953 by Burt Glinn is one of the photographer's iconic 1950s shots - this one of people relaxing in inner tubes on a pond. The zeitgeist of madcap and fun, th...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Silver Gelatin

Elizabeth Taylor, Black and White Photograph of 1950s Hollywood Star on Film Set
Located in New york, NY
Burt Glinn photographed one of the most highly-paid celebrity actresses, Elizabeth Taylor, on set during the filming of "Suddenly Last Summer" in 1959. In the candid photo, he captur...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Paper, Photographic Film

Arno River, Florence, Italy, Street Photography of Soldiers
Located in New york, NY
This is a black and white photograph of three soldiers seated on a bridge, above the Arno River, Florence, Italy 1958 by Leonard Freed. It is a 12" x 16" ge...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Silver Gelatin

Marlon Brando Kissing Dog, Libertyville, IL 1950 - Large Format Black & White
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a large scale black and white photo of Marlon Brando as a young man at his family farm with his dog. In 1951 Life Magazine asked Art Shay to photograph Marlon Brando at his family home in Libertyville, IL. This is one of the photos from that shoot. In 2000, Art Shay published Album for an Age: Unconventional Words and Pictures from the Twentieth Century. This artwork is matted and framed. Art Shay Marlon Brando Kissing Dog...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Sammy Davis Junior, New York City, Portrait of African American Star
Located in New york, NY
Image of Sammy Davis Junior, 1959 by American photographer Burt Glinn was shot on Madison Avenue in New York after Sammy Davis Jr.'s last performance at the Copacabana nightclub in T...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Digital

Bride, Naples, Italy, Black and White Street Photography 1950s
Located in New york, NY
Bride, Naples, Italy, 1958 by Leonard Freed is a black and white contemporary photograph, cinematic in nature. This is a gelatin silver, signed by the photographer, lifetime print, 24" x 20" from the Freed archive. LITERATURE: W. A. Ewing, N. Herschdorfer, and W. van Sinderen, Worldview, Leonard Freed, Steidl, 2007, p. 73 and back cover. Leonard Freed discovered Little Italy in New York...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Helen Frankenthaler and David Smith, New York, Portrait of Two American Artists
Located in New york, NY
Painter Helen Frankenthaler and sculptor David Smith in Frankenthaler's studio in New York City, 1957 is a gelatin silver print, 20” x 16”, signed and stamped by the Glinn estate. Th...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Jayne Mansfield: Modern Pinup
Located in Austin, TX
This beautiful modern pinup features the lovely Jayne Mansfield posed on barstools with modern art on the walls. Jayne Mansfield was an American film, theater, and television actre...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Marilyn Monroe Smiling in Jewels
Located in Austin, TX
Second in its series, this awesome black and white capture features Marilyn Monroe in her Hollywood prime - captured in a silk dress and fur stole. Classic image of the Hollywood l...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Lawrence Fried - Railway Signalman NYC, Photography 1951, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 20" x 24” Edition of 25 30” x 40” Edition of 25
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - An elderly lady New York City in October 1957, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print An elderly lady standing outside the barricade on the street, waiting for HM Queen Elizabeth II to visit New York City in October 1957. Available Sizes: 12" x ...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - Paul Newman “Baby Want a Kiss”, Photography 1964, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print On the stage set of “Baby Want a Kiss”, co-starring Joanne Woodward. The Helen Hayes Theatre, NYC, 1964. Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Ed...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - Marlon Brando Posing, Photography 1953, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print Posing for a feature in the Saturday Evening Post, 6th June 1953 Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 20" x 24” Edition of 25 30” x...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - James Dean Publicity Portraits, Photography 1953, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print Publicity Portraits for the television play “Keep Our Honor Bright”, in New York City, 1953. Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 2...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - Audrey Hepburn At an Automat, Photography 1951, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print Times Square, NYC, 1951. Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 20" x 24” Edition of 25 30” x 40” Edition of 25 This photograph will ...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - Audrey Hepburn The American Magazine, 1952, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print Photographed for The American Magazine, 23rd March 1952. Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 20" x 24” Edition of 25 30” x 40” Edi...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - Audrey Hepburn, Photography 1951, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print Times Square, NYC, 1951. Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 20" x 24” Edition of 25 30” x 40” Edition of 25 This photograph will...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lawrence Fried - Norman Rockwell, Photography 1959, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Gelatin-silver print In his Hometown of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, US, 1959 Available Sizes: 12" x 16” Edition of 25 16” x 20” Edition of 25 20" x 24” Edition of 25 30” x 40” Edit...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Man reading Billboard Magazine, Chicago, 1958, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver Portrait of a man reading Billboard Magazine at a newstand, 1950s, Chicago, USA. Available sizes: 16”x20" Edition of 25 20”x24" Edition of 25 ...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Carmen McRae Chicago Hotel Room, Photography 1956, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver American jazz singer Carmen McRae smoking and applying make-up in her Chicago Hotel Room, 1956. Available sizes: 16”x20" Edition of 25 20”x24"...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Two Members of The Almighty Vice Lord Nation 1958, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Title: Two Members of The Almighty Vice Lord Nation Chicago Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver Two young members of The Almighty Vice Lord Nation photographed on the streets of C...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Charles Mingus Rhode Island, Photography 1959, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver Charles Mingus On-stage at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, 1959 Available sizes: 20”x16" Edition of 25 24”x20" Edition of 25 40”x30" ...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Dinah Washington, Civic Opera House, Chicago, 1956, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Title: Dinah Washington, Civic Opera House, Chicago, IL Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver American singer and pianist, Dinah Washington on stage at Civic Opera House, Chicago, I...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Eleanora Fagan aka Billie Holiday, 1958, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver American jazz musician and singer-songwriter Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, performing on stage. Available sizes: 16”...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jack Fontan in Doorway
Located in New York, NY
Jack Fontan in Doorway c. 1954 George Platt Lynes studio stamp in black ink, verso Gelatin silver print 9 x 7 inches (22.9 x 17.8 cm) This work is offe...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dean 14
Located in Miami, FL
Fine Art Printing Edition 5 of 15
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Audrey Hepburn Flowers - the movie star and icon dressed in pink haute couture
Located in Vienna, AT
Fine art and fashion portrait of Audrey Hepburn wearing a Givenchy dress (1955, Villa Rolli, Italy), Haute Couture Vintage. The artwork is made and signed in a strictly limited editi...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Mermaid Dress (Rochas) [Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn], Paris
Located in New York, NY
Mermaid Dress (Rochas) [Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn], Paris, 1950/June 1979 Signed, titled, dated, numbered, and inscribed in pencil, verso Platinum-pallad...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Platinum

Contemporary portrait photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary portrait 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 portrait photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Stefanie Schneider, Tyler Shields, Urizen Freaza, and Clare Marie Bailey. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Photographic 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 portrait photography, so small editions measuring 1.58 inches across are also available.

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