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Contemporary Art

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
Ai Weiwei - Cats (Black)

Ai Weiwei - Cats (Black)

By Ai Weiwei

Located in London, GB

Screen print on Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper Hand-signed, dated, and numbered by the artist 28 × 32.8 cm Edition of 150 Framed The print was editioned by master printer, Kip Gres...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Screen

Hajime Sorayama Tyrannosaurus T-rex Cyborg Dinosaur Sculpture in Box Nanzuka
Hajime Sorayama Tyrannosaurus T-rex Cyborg Dinosaur Sculpture in Box Nanzuka

Hajime Sorayama Tyrannosaurus T-rex Cyborg Dinosaur Sculpture in Box Nanzuka

Located in Surfside, FL

Hajime Sorayama (Japan, b. 1947) Medium: PVC (vinyl), silvered chrome resin Dimensions: 60 × 23 × 15 cm Approximately 23.5 x 9 x 6 inches. Produced by APPortfolio and Nanzuka A Tyra...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Resin, Mixed Media

"Lilly Pads on the Water" Contemporary Acrylic Painting In the Style of Monet
"Lilly Pads on the Water" Contemporary Acrylic Painting In the Style of Monet

"Lilly Pads on the Water" Contemporary Acrylic Painting In the Style of Monet

By Robert Gregory Phillips

Located in New York, NY

An abstract expressionist acrylic painting on canvas with wonderful color combinations of soft, pinks, yellow and effortless lines and shapes. Inspired by Claude Monet's Lilly Pads, ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Quiet Morning Bench by the Sea – Minimalist Black-and-White Photograph (France)
Quiet Morning Bench by the Sea – Minimalist Black-and-White Photograph (France)

Quiet Morning Bench by the Sea – Minimalist Black-and-White Photograph (France)

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21136 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

TABACCHI at Day, Milan - Architectural Color Photography
TABACCHI at Day, Milan - Architectural Color Photography

TABACCHI at Day, Milan - Architectural Color Photography

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

TABACCHI at Day, one of a sequence of photographs from Richard Heeps series, 'A Short History of Milan' which began in November 2018 for a special project featuring at the Affordable...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Ancient Laurisilva Forest, Madeira – Black & White Trees (Limited Edition)
Ancient Laurisilva Forest, Madeira – Black & White Trees (Limited Edition)

Ancient Laurisilva Forest, Madeira – Black & White Trees (Limited Edition)

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21024 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Backfire - Andrew Scott Print

Backfire - Andrew Scott Print

Located in Manchester, GB

Andrew Scott, Backfire, 2024 Print on Etching cotton Rag with Hand Burnt Frame 45 x 33 cm (17 7/10 × 13 in) Edition 239 of 250 Framed in open-grain black wood Signed and numbered la...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Giclée

French School Coffee in Provence Un café en Provence - Chut les Barbizons!
French School Coffee in Provence Un café en Provence - Chut les Barbizons!

French School Coffee in Provence Un café en Provence - Chut les Barbizons!

Located in Zofingen, AG

Café in Provence Two women enjoying a coffee in Provence Sorority Technique: oil, acrylics and ink on canvas 80x80cm ■■ 31,5x31,5 inch ⏩》R E A D Y -- T O -- H A N G《⏪ 🟢 → Origin...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

Black and White Long-Exposure Iceland Waterfall Photograph – Black and White
Black and White Long-Exposure Iceland Waterfall Photograph – Black and White

Black and White Long-Exposure Iceland Waterfall Photograph – Black and White

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 9 // Gallery ID: 11150 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

VW Bus T2 & Palm Trees, Santa Barbara – Black-and-White Photograph
VW Bus T2 & Palm Trees, Santa Barbara – Black-and-White Photograph

VW Bus T2 & Palm Trees, Santa Barbara – Black-and-White Photograph

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 9 // Gallery ID: 11775 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the reverse, signed and numbered by Gerald Berghammer, and accompanied by a letter of authenticity. Prints include a 4 cm white border. VW BUS...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Untitled III", Acrylic on Wood,  Abstract Sculpture, Geometric Abstraction
"Untitled III", Acrylic on Wood,  Abstract Sculpture, Geometric Abstraction

"Untitled III", Acrylic on Wood, Abstract Sculpture, Geometric Abstraction

By NDA

Located in Philadelphia, PA

"Untitled III" is an original piece by NDA made from acrylic on cut wood. This pieces measures 39.25”h x 22.5”w. NDA is a public and gallery artist based out of Philadelphia. Althou...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Rocky Atlantic Coast, Bay of Biscay, Spain — Black and White Photograph
Rocky Atlantic Coast, Bay of Biscay, Spain — Black and White Photograph

Rocky Atlantic Coast, Bay of Biscay, Spain — Black and White Photograph

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21197 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Chestnut Trees & Bench on the Promenade, Black and White Landscape, Limited
Chestnut Trees & Bench on the Promenade, Black and White Landscape, Limited

Chestnut Trees & Bench on the Promenade, Black and White Landscape, Limited

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21144 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Anasyrma, Oil Painting
Anasyrma, Oil Painting

Anasyrma, Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A girl lifts her skirt as she dances with her partner, not shown in the frame. Her pose communicates a quiet, ambiguous narrative. The slight twist of the torso...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Oil

Genesis 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Culture Africa Women
Genesis 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Culture Africa Women

Genesis 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Culture Africa Women

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

This striking work explores African cultural identity as both personal and collective memory. Through the interplay of concealment and adornment, it presents the African body as a sa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic

Freedom
Freedom

Freedom

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Cuban based artist Support Cuban artists

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Angelau, Winged Figure Linocut by Bernardo Modesto
Angelau, Winged Figure Linocut by Bernardo Modesto

Angelau, Winged Figure Linocut by Bernardo Modesto

Located in Palm Springs, CA

This striking black-and-white linocut by Bernardo Modesto presents a winged female figure seated within an oval frame, evoking both spiritual iconography and indigenous symbolism. Th...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Art

Materials

Linocut

Tree, South of France

Tree, South of France

By Kate Breakey

Located in Sante Fe, NM

Kate Breakey's artistic process is an act of investigation – a passionate attempt to establish an understanding of the natural world – a version that incorporates both intellectual a...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Expectation 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, African Women
Expectation 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, African Women

Expectation 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, African Women

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

This artwork is inspired by one of the issues amongst many in the traditional Yoruba African society where I'm still growing up as the son of the soil. As I was growing up and up til...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Utopia, Milan - Color Blocking Architecture Photograph
Utopia, Milan - Color Blocking Architecture Photograph

Utopia, Milan - Color Blocking Architecture Photograph

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

'Utopia', photographed in February 2020 for his ongoing series 'A Short History of Milan'. There is a reoccurring linear, structural theme throughout the series, capturing the Milan...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Afrocentric Radiance
Afrocentric Radiance

Afrocentric Radiance

By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

In a vibrant celebration of African heritage and beauty, our protagonist, a stunning black African woman, graces the scene with her majestic presence. Crowned with a voluminous afro ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Fabric, Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media

Jubilee, Contemporary Abstract Painting
Jubilee, Contemporary Abstract Painting

Jubilee, Contemporary Abstract Painting

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This piece is an abstract acrylic painting created on a wood panel. It features a bold, energetic composition built from large, block-like shapes and expressive strokes of saturated ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Black and White Mountain Lake Winter Panorama Photograph Print – Limited Edition
Black and White Mountain Lake Winter Panorama Photograph Print – Limited Edition

Black and White Mountain Lake Winter Panorama Photograph Print – Limited Edition

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 8 // Gallery ID: 21052 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Abandoned Boat on Still Water, Black and White Fine Art Photograph, limited
Abandoned Boat on Still Water, Black and White Fine Art Photograph, limited

Abandoned Boat on Still Water, Black and White Fine Art Photograph, limited

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 9 // Gallery ID: 11714 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Secret Place . Original painting
Secret Place . Original painting

Secret Place . Original painting

Located in Zofingen, AG

“Secret Place” - reminiscent of childhood, where there was always a secret place close to home, a secluded corner of nature that immerses you in the world of your thoughts and dreams...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary art 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 art 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 Paint, and 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 art, so small editions measuring 0.02 inches across are also available.