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
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Linen, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Rag Paper, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
1990s Contemporary Art
Bronze, Steel
1960s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Plexiglass
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, Color
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, ...
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Polaroid, Color, C Print, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Black and White, Polaroid, Color, C Print, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Polaroid, Color, C Print, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Pastel, Ink, Acrylic, Cardboard, Engraving
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
1980s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Gouache, Watercolor
1990s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
1990s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Polaroid, Color, C Print, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Ceramic, Glaze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A tulip-like shape emerges from a warm beige background. Three vertical bars extend from the top of the petals while sharp lines and a small brown circle hover on the bottom. Two small crosses and a square introduce a playful detail on the lower part of the composition. Artist Sally Morris Clark...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Charcoal, Pastel, Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Porcelain
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print, Color, Polaroid
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Paint, Paper, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Polaroid, Color, C Print, Archival Paper





