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
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Stainless Steel
Artist Comments
The shimmering sea peeks through a beach house and offers a glimpse of its tranquil beauty. The floor, wall, and ceiling lead to the water, creating a seamles...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Porcelain, Glaze
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment, Archival Ink, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Textile, Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
India Ink, Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper
1940s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
1960s Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Linen, Oil, Panel
1980s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Contemporary Art
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Inkjet
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Resin
2010s Contemporary Art
Platinum
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood, Oil
Artist Comments
Brown and white eggshells form the contrasting hues of a Pinto horse, with a heart-shaped patch of color symbolizing the deep bond ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Woodcut
Artist Comments
A solitary patron in a bar abandons his untouched drink and heads to a phone booth, carrying crucial papers in hand. The cigarette he leaves behind continues ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Black and White, Digital, Archival Pigment...
2010s Contemporary Art
Metal
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Lithograph, Offset
1960s Contemporary Art
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Offset, Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Panel, Giclée
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Encaustic, Archival Paper, Monotype
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
1960s Contemporary Art
Charcoal, Oil Pastel
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital, Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Resin