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.
1960s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
1990s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Stainless Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Conté, Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Polaroid, C Print, Black and White, Archival Paper
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Metal, Steel
1990s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Watercolor, Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1960s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Artist Comments
"This painting was created in one fast sitting, with furious yet thoughtful brushstrokes," explains Rachel. "The acrylic paint ranges from thick impasto a thin watercolor-like veil." Part of Rachel's signature cubist coffee series. For these pieces, she studies her extensive collection of cafetieres that she keeps in her studio. The works are both about celebrating her love of coffee, and depicting light, pattern, and repetition as though it were set to music.
About the Artist
For Rachel Srinivasan, an idea is worth putting on a canvas only if it still feels exciting after a few days. Rachel enjoys mulling the idea over in her mind for some time before creating an artwork. She hopes viewers will engage with her work and wonder about the subject matter, shapes and colors. "My current work is all about creating a connection between the person on the canvas with the viewer," she explains. She prefers large paintings and sometimes even makes her own canvases. She currently lives in Arizona and enjoys baking rhubarb pies, reading, running and going to art museums.
Words that describe this painting: coffee, espresso, caffe, breakfast, cubism, still life, cuisine, non-representational, modern , acrylic painting, grey
Lighter Blue Coffee...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Film, Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Textile, Linen, Yarn, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Felt Pen
2010s Contemporary Art
Gesso, Canvas, Linen, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Stoneware, Glaze
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Wood, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Copper
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1990s Contemporary Art
Mezzotint
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Pigment
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Stainless Steel
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
1950s Contemporary Art
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
Late 20th Century Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment