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
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Stencil, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Wood, Paper, Acrylic, Resin
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
1990s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil Crayon, Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Resin, Vinyl
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, Color
Artist Comments
Twelve horses stand apart in a grid. Eleven move in perfect unison across a lush green backdrop, their identical forms evoking conformity and collective force. ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This contemporary oil painting features a striking, rhythmic arrangement of twelve horses. Structured into four horizontal rows, each row contains three horses....
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Linen, Oil Pastel, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Linen, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Paint, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
1990s Contemporary Art
Offset
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Glass, Board, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Ceramic
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1950s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Granite
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital
Artist Comments
Delicate lilac flowers fill a glass vase, while a fallen cluster rests beside it, adding a natural touch. Gentle light filters through the scene, adding a warm ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
1980s Contemporary Art
Other Medium
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment, Rag Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital
1990s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Wood, Giclée, Plexiglass, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographi...
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil
Early 20th Century Contemporary Art
Ceramic, Glaze
2010s Contemporary Art
Ceramic, Clay, Coating, Glaze
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Wax, Encaustic, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1960s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin