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Contemporary Art

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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.

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Style: Contemporary
Orelisa - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Orelisa - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women

Orelisa - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Aerial 4" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. of 15 by Olha Stepanian

"Aerial 4" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. of 15 by Olha Stepanian

By Olha Stepanian

Located in Culver City, CA

"Aerial 4" Black & White Photography 24" x 24" in Ed. of 15 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by the arti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper

Free Space Panorama - color gondola, cityscape - Venice, Italy - limited edition
Free Space Panorama - color gondola, cityscape - Venice, Italy - limited edition

Free Space Panorama - color gondola, cityscape - Venice, Italy - limited edition

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Gerald Berghammer - Color long exposure photography. Gondolas docked on calm water with Venice cityscape, church bell tower and historic buildings. Archival pigment ink print as par...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Beautiful Mantra" Abstract Geometric Grid in Pastel Colors
"Beautiful Mantra" Abstract Geometric Grid in Pastel Colors

"Beautiful Mantra" Abstract Geometric Grid in Pastel Colors

By Kevin Snipes

Located in Philadelphia, PA

"Beautiful Manta" is an original piece by Kevin Snipes made from ink, gouache, pastel, and acrylic on paper. This piece measures 8.25”h x 6”w and is signed en verso. Kevin Snipes (h...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Gouache, Pastel

Myth #7. From The Myths of Human Erectness series
Myth #7. From The Myths of Human Erectness series

Myth #7. From The Myths of Human Erectness series

By Javier Rey

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The Myths of Human Erectness explores the human body as both subject and object, interrogating the myths surrounding masculinity, erectness, and human supremacy. The male figure emer...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

"Garden of Ethernity IV" Nude Photography 47 x 35 in Ed of 3 by Lukas Dvorak
"Garden of Ethernity IV" Nude Photography 47 x 35 in Ed of 3 by Lukas Dvorak

"Garden of Ethernity IV" Nude Photography 47 x 35 in Ed of 3 by Lukas Dvorak

By Lukas Dvorak

Located in Culver City, CA

"Garden of Ethernity IV" Nude Photography 47 x 35 in Ed of 3 by Lukas Dvorak Pigment print on Epson Fine ART paper 2024 The photo is signed on verso Comes with COA issued by the Art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Pigment

Dusk from an Airplane, Abstract Aerial Diptych, Giclée, Deep Blue to Yellow Hue
Dusk from an Airplane, Abstract Aerial Diptych, Giclée, Deep Blue to Yellow Hue

Dusk from an Airplane, Abstract Aerial Diptych, Giclée, Deep Blue to Yellow Hue

By Ryan Rivadeneyra

Located in Barcelona, ES

Cyd Fontaine (Lausanne, 1992) is a contemporary artist renowned for her captivating use of dreamy atmospheric gradients, which has helped her carve a distinctive niche in the world o...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée, Archival Pigment

Unión 2 and Errabundeo Cordoba 7. Nude in a landscape color photo
Unión 2 and Errabundeo Cordoba 7. Nude in a landscape color photo

Unión 2 and Errabundeo Cordoba 7. Nude in a landscape color photo

By Javier Rey

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Errabundeo Series Though each love is experienced as unique and though the subject rejects the notion of repeating it elsewhere later on, he sometimes discovers in himself a kind of...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Permutations
Permutations

Permutations

Located in Burlingame, CA

Elizabeth Geisler is best known for her dazzling contemporary water reflection paintings that bridge realism with abstraction. Up close, the paintings appear ambiguous and loose, yet...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Life Journey 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Figurative, Realism
Life Journey 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Figurative, Realism

Life Journey 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Figurative, Realism

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About the Artist Joy Eyitayo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic

2 Beachballers - acrylic and oil on canvas
2 Beachballers - acrylic and oil on canvas

2 Beachballers - acrylic and oil on canvas

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Wencke Uhl is a contemporary figurative paintress living and working in Germany. She draws inspiration from human beauty and the female form. As a teenager Uhl wanted to become a fa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Myth #4. From The Myths of Human Erectness series
Myth #4. From The Myths of Human Erectness series

Myth #4. From The Myths of Human Erectness series

By Javier Rey

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The Myths of Human Erectness explores the human body as both subject and object, interrogating the myths surrounding masculinity, erectness, and human supremacy. The male figure emer...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Keith Haring Paul Maenz 1984 (announcement)
Keith Haring Paul Maenz 1984 (announcement)

Keith Haring Paul Maenz 1984 (announcement)

By Keith Haring

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Keith Haring Galerie Paul Maenz, Cologne, Germany 1984: Super rare, tri-fold poster booklet published to announce Haring’s 1984 solo exhibition at Paul Maenz Gallery in Cologne (Hari...

Category

1980s Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Wild Things (Till Death do us Part) Contemporary, Woman, Polaroid
Wild Things (Till Death do us Part) Contemporary, Woman, Polaroid

Wild Things (Till Death do us Part) Contemporary, Woman, Polaroid

By Stefanie Schneider

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

Wild Things (Till Death do us Part) - 2005 50x50cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs, Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory #...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Art

Materials

Parchment Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid

Topaz from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr)
Topaz from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr)

Topaz from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr)

Located in New York City, NY

CAROLINA GOMEZ Emerald from the Mirror Stone series (Portrait Painting - Hedy Lamarr) 60 x 48 inches - Unique OIL ON CANVAS Carolina Gomez’s works have become known for the powerful...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Veil' Acrylic Painting on Panel, Contemporary Landscape, 21st Century
'Veil' Acrylic Painting on Panel, Contemporary Landscape, 21st Century

'Veil' Acrylic Painting on Panel, Contemporary Landscape, 21st Century

Located in Burlingame, CA

Elizabeth Geisler is best known for her dazzling contemporary water reflection paintings that bridge realism with abstraction. Up close, the paintings appear ambiguous and loose, yet...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

Steps  - underwater photograph - print on paper 21" x 18"
Steps  - underwater photograph - print on paper 21" x 18"

Steps - underwater photograph - print on paper 21" x 18"

By Alex Sher

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

A light and very becoming underwater photograph of a girl walking down the steps of a swimming pool. The light blue photograph shows no swimsuit neither nudity. The crystalline wate...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Three Pink Lotus Flowers, Mekong Delta, Vietnam — Large-Scale Panorama Photo
Three Pink Lotus Flowers, Mekong Delta, Vietnam — Large-Scale Panorama Photo

Three Pink Lotus Flowers, Mekong Delta, Vietnam — Large-Scale Panorama Photo

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21378 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Retoni, seascape, fishing stilt house, panorama - color photography, seascape
Retoni, seascape, fishing stilt house, panorama - color photography, seascape

Retoni, seascape, fishing stilt house, panorama - color photography, seascape

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Gerald Berghammer - Color seascape photography. A rustic house on stilts with a crane and fishing nets, situated on rocks in the water, under a cloudy sky. Archival pigment ink prin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Power Baby (Reckless Dreams)" by Mando Marie, Vintage Imagery, Painting
"Power Baby (Reckless Dreams)" by Mando Marie, Vintage Imagery, Painting

"Power Baby (Reckless Dreams)" by Mando Marie, Vintage Imagery, Painting

By Amanda Marie

Located in Philadelphia, PA

"Power Baby (Reckless Dreams)" is a one-of-a-kind original artwork by Amanda Marie (also known as Mando Marie). Executed in aerosol and acrylic paint on canvas, the piece measures 60...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Stencil

Castaway - Abstract Playful Earth Tone Textural Paint Splat Mixed Media Artwork
Castaway - Abstract Playful Earth Tone Textural Paint Splat Mixed Media Artwork

Castaway - Abstract Playful Earth Tone Textural Paint Splat Mixed Media Artwork

By Amber Goldhammer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Pedal Boat - Balaton - long exposure waterscape photography - limited
Pedal Boat - Balaton - long exposure waterscape photography - limited

Pedal Boat - Balaton - long exposure waterscape photography - limited

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Gerald Berghammer - Black and white long exposure waterscape photography. Five pedal boats on a platform over water, with a cloudy sky in the background. Digital pigment ink print, e...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Island. Boulders Beach, Original Painting
Island. Boulders Beach, Original Painting

Island. Boulders Beach, Original Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This contemporary painting of Boulders Beach presents a stylized, painterly interpretation of the coast. On the left, a rocky cliff descends toward the beach, m...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic

Contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Stefanie Schneider, Tyler Shields, Kirsten Thys van den Audenaerde, and Richard Heeps. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary art, so small editions measuring 0.02 inches across are also available.