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.
1970s Contemporary Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Offset
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Art
Offset
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Inkjet
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Ceramic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
1970s Contemporary Art
Screen
1990s Contemporary Art
Black and White, Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Pigment, Archiva...
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Acrylic Polymer
2010s Contemporary Art
Cast Stone, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Thread, Found Objects, Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Encaustic, Archival Paper, Monotype
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Watercolor, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Tempera
2010s Contemporary Art
Birch, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Ink, Gouache, Color Pencil
1990s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Crayon, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Stoneware, Glaze, Underglaze
Artist Comments
A small, delicate nest cradles two blue eggs, its woven twigs and fibers forming intricate textures. Painted on an aluminum panel, the surface lends a subtle luminosity to the composition. The artwork celebrates nature's quiet beauty and the fragility of new life.
About the Artist
Artist Jennifer Ross finds inspiration in gathering and replicating fragments of nature. "Birds, nests, eggs, and horses represent my realization that life embodies a tension between wanting security and the love of freedom," says Jennifer. Through her art, she aspires to convey a healing power inspired by the living world. Jennifer initially aspired to follow her mother and grandfather's artistic path but took a detour and began a decade-long career working in art galleries, selling the artwork of others, and doing framing design. Eventually, her creative soul persisted. She began experimenting with small pastel...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Ceramic, Glaze
2010s Contemporary Art
Wax, Encaustic, Archival Paper, Mulberry Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Offset
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Etching