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
Paper, Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Stone, Granite, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Vinyl, Plastic
2010s Contemporary Art
Gesso, Canvas, Linen, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Paper, Etching, Aquatint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Woodcut
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print, Color, Polaroid
1990s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Polaroid
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Bronze, Steel
1990s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, C Print, Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Wood, Glass
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
1990s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Sequins
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
C Print, Archival Paper, Color, Lambda, Polaroid
1960s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Bronze
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Etching
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Glass
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Paint, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Travertine, Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
1950s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigme...
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Tempera, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Enamel
2010s Contemporary Art
Metal, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Photographic Film, Charcoal, Archival Ink, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Screen
1990s Contemporary Art
Graphite, Digital, Inkjet
Artist Comments
The horse exudes power and gentleness, carrying a bird's nest on its back. The blue egg symbolizes vulnerability and new beginnings. The piece tells a narrative...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mezzotint
2010s Contemporary Art
Cotton, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mezzotint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil, Panel