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Contemporary 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
Artist: Michael Kenna
Spring Poplar Trees, Pavia, Italy
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered. Sepia toned gelatin silver print Michael Kenna's black and white photographs are powerful and alluring. His ima...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, New York, USA
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, titled, dated, print date, numbered and artist stamp by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver print Michael Kenna's black and white photographs are powerful...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Two Winter Stalks, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, titled, negative date, print date, and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver print Michael Kenna's black and white photographs are powerful and ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Snow Parfait Tree, Wakoto, Hokkaido, Japan by Michael Kenna, 2004
Located in Dallas, TX
Snow Parfait Tree by Michael Kenna presents a sublime scene. A single tree stands tall in a snow covered field. Its branches are delicately covered in snow, appearing like a deliciou...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bench and Trees, Les Baux-de-Provence, France
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on mount margin recto by Michael Kenna Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered in pencil with the artist's stamp in...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ororon Line, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hyomon, Study 1, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition 2/25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver. Printed 2020. Mat size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 7 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. M...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Strolling Swan, Chateau d'Azay le Rideau, France
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential among ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Notre Dame Study 12, Paris, France
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Edition of 40 Michael Kenna is master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly inf...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dancing Trees, Kussharo Lake, Hokkaido, Japan by Michael Kenna, 2020
Located in Dallas, TX
Dancing Trees, Kussharo Lake, Hokkaido, Japan by Michael Kenna presents a sublime scene. Two trees stand tall in a landscape blanketed in snow. A mountain range emerges from horizon ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Mill View, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition 1/25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver. Printed 2020. Mat size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. M...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jardin des Plantes, Study 1, Paris, France by Michael Kenna, 1988
Located in Dallas, TX
Jardin des Plantes, Study 1, Paris, France by Michael Kenna presents a tranquil scene. Tall trees with barren branches line the park road, leading back to a building in the distance....
Category

1980s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Delicate Tree, Furano, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered. Sepia toned gelatin silver print Michael Kenna's black and white photographs are powerful and alluring. His ima...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Threatening Clouds, Tokimaru Beach, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ayako, Study 2, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Ten years ago, after a particularly tumultuous period in his life, Michael Kenna quietly made a decision to expand his photographic practice to include the human form. Kenna is well known for his minimalistic landscapes, and has been vocal in the past about the absence of the human figure in his photographs stating, "I feel they gave away the scale and became the main focus of the viewer’s attention." But, believing "fixed dogma is not a creative tool...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Late Afternoon Light, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Pine Trees, Study 5, Unyeo Beach, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, LTD photograph
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Pine Trees, Study 5, Unyeo Beach, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, is a LTD photograph by Michael Kenna. Edition of 25 Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known f...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Birch Hill Trees, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hillside Fence, Study 6, Teshikaga, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on mount margin recto. Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered in pencil with the artist's stamp in black ink on mo...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dakekanba and Snow Barriers, Hokkaido, Japan by Michael Kenna, 2020
Located in Dallas, TX
Dakekanba and Snow Barriers, Hokkaido, Japan by Michael Kenna presents a sublime scene. Dark snow barriers contrast with the blanket of stark white snow. A single tree stands in the ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Snow Parfait Tree, Wakoto, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Huangshan Mountains, Study 46, Anhui, China
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, titled, negative date, print date, and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver print, 8 x 7 3/4 in. Michael Kenna's black and white photographs ar...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kussharo Lake Tree, Study 17, Kotan, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Eight Posts, Rumoi, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Poplar Trees, Fucino, Abruzzo, Italy
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kurosawa's Trees, Study 3, Memanbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

White Landscape, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Temple Lake, Kyoto, Honshu, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Frozen Itadori, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Three Trees in Pasture, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Small Trees, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on mount margin recto. Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered in pencil with the artist's stamp in black ink on mo...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hisako, Study 2, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Ten years ago, after a particularly tumultuous period in his life, Michael Kenna quietly made a decision to expand his photographic practice to include the human form. Kenna is well known for his minimalistic landscapes, and has been vocal in the past about the absence of the human figure in his photographs stating, "I feel they gave away the scale and became the main focus of the viewer’s attention." But, believing "fixed dogma is not a creative tool...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Docomo Tower, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Diesel Train and Kearsley Power Station, Prestolee, Greater Manchester, England
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition 1/25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver. Printed 2021 Mat size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 6 3/4 x 9 1/8 in. Mi...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Fuyugakoi in Snow, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Six Sipetca Trees, Shibecha, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hyomon, Study 2, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna travels the world, attuned to the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual resonance of natural and urban landscapes, which he seeks to capture in his exquisite black-and-wh...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ange Tranquil au Ciel, Cimetiere du Chateau, Nice, France
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered. Sepia toned gelatin silver Michael Kenna's black and white photographs are powerful and alluring. His imagery t...
Category

1980s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Irving Park Tree, Study 2, Portland, Oregon, USA by Michael Kenna, 2004
Located in Dallas, TX
Irving Park Tree, Study 2, Portland, Oregon, USA by Michael Kenna presents a sublime scene. A single tree stands alone in the park, framed by the bright leaves on the tree and scatte...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lone Tree, Bibaushi, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 45 Signed, dated and numbered in pencil on mount margin recto. Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered in pencil with the artist's stamp in black ink on mo...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Daimyo Oak Forest, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

White Cloud, Widnes, Cheshire, England
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition 1/25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver. Printed 2020. Mat size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. M...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Philosopher’s Tree, Study 6, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Two Leaning Trees, Study 3, Kussharo Lake, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna travels the world, attuned to the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual resonance of natural and urban landscapes, which he seeks to capture in his exquisite black-and-wh...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Toya Lake Boulder, Study 2, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Young Nandaro Plant, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ezo Spruce Trees, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Amemasu Tree, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hill Edge Tree, Shibecha, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kurosawa's Trees, Study 3, Memanbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition 2/25 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver. Printed 2020. Mat size: 20 x 16 in., Image size: 7 3/4 x 8 1/4 in. M...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Two Leaning Trees, Study 2, Kussharo Lake, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Shaman Rock, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lake Saroma Tree, Topushi, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Twilight Tree, Higashi Kagura, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Chilly Weather, Study 2, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Asparagus Sticks, Study 3, Hokkaido, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Michael Kenna is a master of contemporary photography. Known for clean compositions, long exposures and minimalist aesthetics, Kenna’s signature style remains highly influential amon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hillside Fence, Study 6, Teshikaga, Hokkaido, Japan. 2007, black and white photo
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Hillside Fence, Study 6, Teshikaga, Hokkaido, Japan. 2007 is a black and white (silver gelatin print) photograph by Michael Kenna and is signed and numbered. Michael Kenna is master...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Mina, Study 3, Japan
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Ten years ago, after a particularly tumultuous period in his life, Michael Kenna quietly made a decision to expand his photographic practice to include the human form. Kenna is well known for his minimalistic landscapes, and has been vocal in the past about the absence of the human figure in his photographs stating, "I feel they gave away the scale and became the main focus of the viewer’s attention." But, believing "fixed dogma is not a creative tool...
Category

2010s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Contemporary photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary 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 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, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Stefanie Schneider, Tyler Shields, Kirsten Thys van den Audenaerde, and Richard Heeps. Frequently made by artists working with Pigment Print, and Archival Pigment Print 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 photography, so small editions measuring 0.4 inches across are also available.

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