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.
2010s Contemporary Art
Panel, Paint, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Woodcut
1960s Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Bamboo Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
1960s Contemporary Art
Offset, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Encaustic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Metal
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1990s Contemporary Art
Offset
Late 20th Century Contemporary Art
Lithograph, Paper
1990s Contemporary Art
Screen
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media, Cardboard
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Fabric, Mixed Media, Canvas
Late 20th Century Contemporary Art
Lithograph, Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Paper, Offset
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Color, Polaroid
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Panel
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Linocut
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Metal, Enamel, Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Ink, Etching, Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Canvas, Paint
2010s Contemporary Art
Encaustic, Panel
1970s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Pigment
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
Late 20th Century Contemporary Art
Paper, Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Panel
1970s Contemporary Art
Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Linocut, Monotype
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Linocut
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Linocut
1970s Contemporary Art
Paper, Offset
1990s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Photogram
Artist Comments
Inspired by the German Shepherd for their loyalty and dedication, artist Jeff Fleming paints a portrait of the canine. He displays the stars and stripes background to emphasize freedom — and fun. Jeff starts with a pencil sketch and applies oil paint using his fingers then adds details with brushes and string for decorative patterns. "I whisk paint in random strokes, a technique which adds a boost of energy," says Jeff.
About the Artist
Artist Jeff Fleming uses fingerpainting to create exuberant portraits of dogs. Growing up in Southern California, Jeff was first introduced to fingerpainting in kindergarten. He painted through high school and college and won several art awards, including Best of Show in a city wide student competition. After graduating with a degree in journalism and advertising, he went to work as an art director. For the next 40 years, he created print, radio and television ads for a number of top agencies. "After retiring in 2019, the clouds of stress and pressure cleared and allowed me to set my creative energy free," says Jeff. He began developing new techniques focused on the excitement and energy of painting. Today, he uses a variety of methods and tools, including fingerpainting wearing nitrile gloves, traditional paint brushes, bamboo shish kebab sticks, kite string, spraypaint and splattering. While working, Jeff always listens to music, including Broadway musicals, dance music and rhythmic Hawaiian tunes.
Words that describe this painting: Contemporary art, modern art, German Shepherd, dog playing, expressionism, impressionism, kinetic impressionism, oil painting, dog painting, lively art, fun art, happy dog, Iris Scott...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Metal, Enamel, Steel