Contemporary Art
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Wood, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Stainless Steel
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Oil
1980s Contemporary Art
Screen
20th Century Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Pigment, Wood
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Metal
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Pigment, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Glitter, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Plastic, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Stone, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Pigment, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood, Clay
2010s Contemporary Art
Sandstone
2010s Contemporary Art
Sandstone
1990s Contemporary Art
Gesso, Paint, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Wood, Board, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Sandstone
2010s Contemporary Art
Sandstone
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Resin, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée, Archival Ink, Plexiglass, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood
1980s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Inkjet
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Parchment Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Lithograph
20th Century Contemporary Art
Color
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée
Artist Comments
Grandview Farm's barn is over 100 years old, and one of Stowe's best known landmarks. This rendering captures the late summer colors of the rolling hills, the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Mosaic
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil