Skip to main content

Contemporary Sculptures

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.

to
1
98
1
48
24
10
6
11
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
38
30
15
11
9
9
7
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
94
1
1
100
89
84
78
93
93
3
3
3
Style: Contemporary
Artist: Richard MacDonald
Blind Faith, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Blind Faith is an emphatic expression of the call to live life with passion, faith, and courage. Such a life is shaped by vision: not the vision of the eyes, but the unlimited vision...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Origins, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Richard MacDonald has always been intrigued by opposites and he has the range to be able to create both sculptures of delicate, archetypal femininity and powerful, athletic masculini...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Anatomy of Golf, I, IV and V, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Anatomy of a Golfer l, IV and V, Atelier is the first in Richard MacDonald's series of golfers that were inspired by the creation of his heroic sculpture, MOMENTUM, which marked ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Juliet, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Inspired by the ballet Romeo and Juliet and the intensity of the love portrayed by the principal dancers, Juliet Atelier embodies youthful passion and romance. Her elegant feminine f...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

The Guardian, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Long fascinated by the brilliant spectacle of Cirque du Soleil, Richard MacDonald has brought sculptures to life that have the intrigue, allure and beauty that has made Cirque du Soleil an international phenomenon. He is the first and only sculptor given behind-the-scenes access to Cirque du Soleil, allowing him to capture the beauty, athleticism and spirit of the performers...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Piper Draped, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Piper represents the very embodiment of joy. With a thousand nuances of form, from her outstretched fingers to the carefree tilt of her head, she conveys a sense of youth and hop...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Blind Trust, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
“Courage is a kind of salvation.” —Plato. Nothing worthwhile springs from fear: fear is the serpent in the garden, the hole in the boat, the flaw in the plan—it can steer us from danger, but ungoverned by courage it is just as likely to steer us toward a bad outcome. We all have the capacity to be brave, and it is by finding our courage that everything we value comes into being—there can be no love without courage, no kindness without courage, no creativity without courage. As we all face this crisis of unusual scope, we are all living as the figures in Richard MacDonald’s “Blind Faith” and "Blind Courage." They wear blindfolds, and cannot see. They are balancing precariously on an unstable cube. They are keeping multiple balls aloft: juggling, as a metaphor for tasks and responsibilities, cares and concerns. The serenity of these figures speak to the act of drawing on inner strength in the face of these unsettling realities. It is the working of the inner person that keeps the balls from falling, the figure from toppling, and the blindfold from hampering the vision of the desired result. In Richard MacDonald’s “Blind Trust...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Blind Courage, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In “Blind Courage, Atelier" we witness Richard MacDonald’s vision come full-circle. The feminine counterpart to “Blind Faith”, “Blind Courage, Atelier" embodies the call to live life...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Leap of Faith, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The dancing form of Viktor Kee, composed within a tight baroque spiral, powerfully suggests the force of energy that propels this performer across the stage. Like a dancing flame, el...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Duality, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Richard MacDonald’s sculpture Duality, Atelier, originally introduced to collectors under the working title of Yin and Yang II, represents a principle that is fundamental to art from...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Elena, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
“Elena", poised mid-air, elevated by an elegant cascade of drapery, becomes the embodiment of freedom, grace, and hope. Soaring and ethereal, the Cirque du Soleil performer sculpted ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Dance to Paradiso, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In Dance to Paradiso, Atelier Richard MacDonald masterfully selects an exceptional moment of observation as two figures dance with utter trust and ha...
Category

2010s Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Transcendance, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
As with Richard MacDonald’s entire Cirque series, Transcendance has many layers of metaphor and meaning to challenge and intrigue viewers. Transcendance is a striking example of Rich...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Joie de Femme, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Conceived early in Richard MacDonald’s career, the ideas involving three carefree figures of seemingly enchanted origin continue to stir the artist’s imagination. “Joie de...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nightfall Red, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Cloaked in mystery, the female form of “Nightfall” intrigues us. Concealed is a beautiful face, but like nightfall itself, all is not revealed. The globes in each hand suggest the ar...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Diana Earth & Moon, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Richard MacDonald was inspired by the goddess of Ancient Greek mythology, Diana, a huntress who combines feminine grace with confidence and wisdom. As a modern symbol of femininity,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Doves, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Richard MacDonald has always been intrigued by opposites and he has the range to be able to create both sculptures of delicate, archetypal femininity and powerful, athletic masculini...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sisters, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In "Sisters, Atelier" it is happiness in its purest, most youthful form -- without thought or care -- sparked by nothing more than the beauty of the dance, the thrill of movement, an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Flight in Attitude, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In “Flight in Attitude”, the clean lines of the dancer’s form suggest purity and strength. With fingers elegantly outstretched and back arched, she is the embodiment of athletic perf...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

La Fuite du Temps, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Reflecting MacDonald’s lifelong creative exploration of the nature of human reality, La Fuite du Temps, Atelier reveals a powerful statement about the passage of time as it is measur...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sissone, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
After devoting more than twenty years to the perfection of the human form in bronze, Richard MacDonald focused on a series of sculptures based on his work with dancers from the Royal...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Blind Faith Atelier, Platinum, One Drop Special Edition
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
This figure celebrates the creative energy of the human spirit and embodies the idea that the unpredictable nature of life is best tamed with confidence and optimism - a message that...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nureyev, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Considered to be one of Richard MacDonald’s greatest achievements, “Nureyev” draws on the artist's highly developed sensitivity for the experience of the dancer, and displays all the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Leap of Faith, Atelier, Platinum, One Drop Special Edition
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Leap of Faith One Drop Special Edition Atelier is a special platinum Atelier edition of Richard MacDonald's iconic Leap of Faith sculpture, in support of the "One Drop" Foundation. L...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Silver, Bronze

Gymnast Bust
Located in London, GB
Created by artist Richard MacDonald for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, Flair Across America celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and the idealization of the human form. Whil...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Trumpeter Draped, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Trumpeter represents the very embodiment of joy. With a thousand nuances of form, from her outstretched fingers to the carefree tilt of her head, she conveys a sense of youth and...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Allonge Male, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In his work entitled Allongé – to elongate or stretch - Richard MacDonald has sculpted the powerful lines of the male dancer, accentuating the graceful form of his body. Working with...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Flight in Attitude, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In “Flight in Attitude”, the clean lines of the dancer’s form suggest purity and strength. With fingers elegantly outstretched and back arched, she is the embodiment of athletic perf...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

The Flutist, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Flutist, Atelier was inspired by Richard MacDonald’s signature Heroic work, Joie de Vivre - the "joy of life." Drawing on his own belief in the irrepressible will of the human s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Angelic Crystal, Terracotta
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Intrigued by the stature and carriage of a particular figure, MacDonald pursued Angelic Crystal, the study of a ballerina in the studio. Inspired by a continuing appreciation of danc...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Jacques, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
A richly flowing cape drapes his shoulders, as he crouches low, eyes looking upward, “Jacques” raises his hands to test the confining walls of his imaginary box. “Jacques” reminds us...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Allonge, Atelier, Suite
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In his work entitled Allongé – to elongate or stretch - Richard MacDonald has sculpted the powerful lines of the male and female dancers, accentuating the graceful, yet powerful fo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Butterfly, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In Butterfly, Atelier the gesture has a powerful, yet sensitive, conviction of universality, which places it amongst Richard MacDonald’s most distinctive and original works of art. The Baroque spiral of the body and constant motion rises out of swirling earthy beginnings. The patina adds color and dynamic movement by creating tones, values, and pattern to emphasize the concept, and creatively underscore the message of spiritual release and personal freedom. Dawson Cole Fine Art
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Blind Faith, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Blind Faith is an emphatic expression of the call to live life with passion, faith, and courage. Such a life is shaped by vision: not the vision of the eyes, but the unlimited vision...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Angelic Crystal, Marble Dust
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Intrigued by the stature and carriage of a particular figure, MacDonald pursued Angelic Crystal, the study of a ballerina in the studio. Inspired by a continuing appreciation of danc...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Marble

O-Flier, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
“O-Flier” is one of the more dynamic works to spring from the inspiration Richard MacDonald has found in the creative choreography and the artistic physicality of the extraordinary p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Katherine Bust, Marble Dust
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Katherine Bust Atelier, Marble Dust uses cast carrara marble and draws on Richard MacDonald's unique sensitivity to the experience of the dancer. Based on a classical study for the m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Trumpeter Nude, Half life
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Trumpeter represents the very embodiment of joy. With a thousand nuances of form, from her outstretched fingers to the carefree tilt of her head, she conveys a sense of youth and...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

The Guardian Red, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Long fascinated by the brilliant spectacle of Cirque du Soleil, Richard MacDonald has brought sculptures to life that have the intrigue, allure and beauty that has made Cirque du Sol...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Zumanity - Modern Dance V, Icarus Moon
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Drawn from the performances of Stephan Choinier and his partner, Kristi Phillips, “Zumanity - Modern Dance V, Icarus Moon” takes the awe-inspiring moves ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nightfall, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Cloaked in mystery, the female form of “Nightfall” intrigues us. Concealed is a beautiful face, but like nightfall itself, all is not revealed. The globes in each hand suggest the ar...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sissone, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
After devoting more than twenty years to the perfection of the human form in bronze, Richard MacDonald focused on a series of sculptures based on his work with dancers from the Royal...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

The Rose, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Rose, Atelier draws on the artist's highly developed sensitivity for the experience of the dancer and displays all the quiet beauty of a private moment of reflection. A study of ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Anatomy of a Golfer II, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Anatomy of a Golfer Il, Atelier is the second in Richard MacDonald's series of golfers that were inspired by the creation of his heroic sculpture,...
Category

2010s Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Anatomy of a Golfer IV, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Anatomy of a Golfer lV, Atelier is the fourth in Richard MacDonald's series of golfers that were inspired by the creation of his heroic sculpture,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Anatomy of a Golfer V, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Anatomy of a Golfer V, Atelier is the fifth in Richard MacDonald's series of golfers that were inspired by the creation of his heroic sculpture, M...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Anatomy of a Golfer I, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Anatomy of a Golfer l, Atelier is the first in Richard MacDonald's series of golfers that were inspired by the creation of his heroic sculpture, M...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nureyev, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Considered to be one of Richard MacDonald’s greatest achievements, “Nureyev” draws on the artist's highly developed sensitivity for the experience of the dancer, and displays all the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Jacques, Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
A richly flowing cape drapes his shoulders, as he crouches low, eyes looking upward, “Jacques” raises his hands to test the confining walls of his imaginary box. “Jacques” reminds us...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Anatomy of a Golfer III, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
The Anatomy of a Golfer IIl, Atelier is the third in Richard MacDonald's series of golfers that were inspired by the creation of his heroic sculpture,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Katherine Bust, Atelier, Terracotta
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Katherine Bust Atelier, Terracotta draws on Richard MacDonald's unique sensitivity to the experience of the dancer. Based on a classical study for the masterwork Dance the Dream...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Dance the Dream, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Dance the Dream conveys a sense of eternal spring. This young dancer has already acquired the polish and refinement of a professional ballerina, yet she retains the tenderness of yo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Allonge, Female, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Allonge captures the line and athleticism of a world-class dancer and we are reminded of the essential perfection of the human form. Beckoning a sense of joy, youth, and hope, Allong...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Whiteface Atelier, Red
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
“A silent medium within a silent medium.” These are the words contemporary master Richard MacDonald uses in describing his world renowned Mime Series. MacDonald’s trademark skill at...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Angelic Crystal, Terracotta
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Intrigued by the stature and carriage of a particular figure, MacDonald pursued Angelic Crystal, the study of a ballerina in the studio. Inspired by a continuing appreciation of dance, the artist encountered a uniquely beautiful, exceptionally tall ballerina possessed of the elegance of a gazelle and the face of a muse. MacDonald witnessed her dancing while creating many drawings of the elements of her presence: the result is a very classic bust...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta, Resin

The Doves, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Richard MacDonald has always been intrigued by opposites and he has the range to be able to create both sculptures of delicate, archetypal femininity and powerful, athletic masculini...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Showtime, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
“A silent medium within a silent medium.” These are the words contemporary master Richard MacDonald uses in describing his world renowned Mime Series. MacDonald’s trademark skill at investing his evocative bronze images with movement and life is never more...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Inspiratio, Atelier
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Formed by two exquisitely defined figures, one the archetype of male perfection, and the other reflecting an image of the ideal female form, these two figures mirror each other, and ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Contemporary sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary sculptures 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 sculptures created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, purple, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including KOBE, Richard MacDonald, KAWS, and HIRO ANDO. Frequently made by artists working with Metal, and Bronze 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 sculptures, so small editions measuring 0.25 inches across are also available.

Recently Viewed

View All