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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
No Parking, London - Brutalist Architecture Color Photograph
No Parking, London - Brutalist Architecture Color Photograph

No Parking, London - Brutalist Architecture Color Photograph

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

No Parking, urban architecture photograph from Richard Heeps' series, A Short History of London. The stark Brutalist architecture has sense of beauty as the hypnotic symmetry draws y...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

The Maze - Original Acrylic Artwork on Canvas
The Maze - Original Acrylic Artwork on Canvas

The Maze - Original Acrylic Artwork on Canvas

By Ricky Hunt

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Ricky Hunt’s work is influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphs, graffiti, and his tumultuous past that led to a paradigm shift in his creative life. He covers the canvas with unique imagery...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Drangarnir Sea Arch and Sea Stacks, Large Limited Edition Seascape Photograph
Drangarnir Sea Arch and Sea Stacks, Large Limited Edition Seascape Photograph

Drangarnir Sea Arch and Sea Stacks, Large Limited Edition Seascape Photograph

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 8 // Gallery ID: 21271 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

Woman in Sheer Dress, Silver Gelatin Black & White Photograph by Art Shay
Woman in Sheer Dress, Silver Gelatin Black & White Photograph by Art Shay

Woman in Sheer Dress, Silver Gelatin Black & White Photograph by Art Shay

By Art Shay

Located in Chicago, IL

At what appears to be a costume party, this beautiful woman, draped in a sheer tunic, must have been the center of attention. Dressed as Aphrodite, she clearly commands those around her. With his camera as his constant companion, Shay was able to capture moments of everyday life and make them extraordinary. This artwork is currently unframed. Contact gallery for framing options. Art Shay Woman in Sheer Dress silver gelatin print 20h x 16w in 50.80h x 40.64w cm 7ED.1.20.12005 ASY12005 “Art Shay’s photography shakes you up, sets you down gently, pats you on the head and then kicks you in the ass.” Roger Ebert “[Shay’s work] ranks with some of the greats of the 20th century.” Ellen & Richard Sandor, Renowned photo collectors “I’ve admired Art Shay’s work for almost forty years, and he keeps getting better. He can do anything with a camera, but what he mostly does is capture real moments and transform them into visual poetry. His work continues to be an inspiration to me.” William Friedkin, Director of French Connection “Art Shay is one of our finest photographers. His work over the past fifty years has artfully captured the beauty, humor, and pathos of America.” Studs Terkel “Art Shay is one of the best photojournalists I know. I’ve been a fan of his work since the early 1950s - before the launch of playboy magazine.” Hugh Hefner “Algren, Terkel, Royko, they gave us a voice. Art Shay gave us a face.” Tony Fitzpatrick, Chicago Artist “Art Shay is America’s Cartier-Bresson.” Thomas Dyja, author of The Third Coast “Chicago’s Art Shay in many ways is to American photography what Nelson Algren was to American writing: that rare and absolutely necessary citizen who’s blessed with a cold eye, a clear head, and a warm heart. What is it about Chicago that keeps giving us men like this?” Russell Banks, Novelist “The best images of Simone de Beauvoir and her times have been passed down to us by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gisele Freund, Robert Doisneau, Georges Brassai, and in America, the Chicago-based Art Shay, all world-class photographers.” Christophe Loviny, Art Editor, Paris “Art Shay is the best photo-journalist Chicago ever produced.” Arthur Siegel, photographer; IIT Institute of Design President “I have one of Art Shay’s pictures over my desk. It reminds me every morning of my Chicago roots. Arts photos, like me, have the Chicago accent, which may be to say he’s telling you the truth. I think it takes a realist to see the humor in things. I know it takes a realist to see the depths of tragedy. Art’s work is so real it feels like a Madison Street guy tapping me on the forearm.” David Mamet

Category

1960s Contemporary Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Poppy Parade - Framed Abstract Expressive Botanical Floral Still Life Painting
Poppy Parade - Framed Abstract Expressive Botanical Floral Still Life Painting

Poppy Parade - Framed Abstract Expressive Botanical Floral Still Life Painting

By Kellie Newsome

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks are the specialty of Georgia-based artist Kellie Newsome. Her work is characterized by a loose and expressive style emphasizing line struct...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil

KAWS BFF Companion (KAWS BFF black)
KAWS BFF Companion (KAWS BFF black)

KAWS BFF Companion (KAWS BFF black)

By KAWS

Located in NEW YORK, NY

KAWS Black BFF new, unopened in its original packaging. A well-received work and variation of KAWS' large scale BFF sculpture is in Los Angeles's Playa Vista neighborhood. Medium: ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

"Grace" Nude, figurative, miniature ink on wood, pendant
"Grace" Nude, figurative, miniature ink on wood, pendant

"Grace" Nude, figurative, miniature ink on wood, pendant

By Robert Kraiza

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This miniature drawing may be displayed on a wall or worn on a chain. Bio // ROBERT KRAIZA (pronounced: cry-zuh) is an illustrator and fine artist who lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied Media Arts and Animation at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Interested in many media, he often paints in monochrome watercolor on a small scale, inspired by the Victorian era and whimsical dreams in both his art and personal aesthetic. Depicting fantasy worlds from the hidden life of nineteenth century witches to miniature children...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink, Wood

Nice no. 2
Nice no. 2

Nice no. 2

Located in Burlingame, CA

Large-scale photographer Troy House celebrates people’s primordial attraction to the beach. He travels the world capturing iconic, breathtaking scenes – often from a bird’s-eye view ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital Pigment

Shade, Photography, Limited Edition
Shade, Photography, Limited Edition

Shade, Photography, Limited Edition

By Sara Punt

Located in München, BY

Limited Edition of 3 Framed size 70 x 100 cm All works are Archival Pigment prints, floating in an all black wooden frame behind museums glass.  More sizes on request. Sara Punt's w...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Marmo di Carrara - large format photograph of iconic Italian marble quarry
Marmo di Carrara - large format photograph of iconic Italian marble quarry

Marmo di Carrara - large format photograph of iconic Italian marble quarry

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

Signed large scale original photograph of the Mediterranean marble quarries in Carrara, Italy, iconic material source of classic Italian art and architecture, captured with a large format camera to allow epic scale print sizes with incredible image details Marmo di Carrara...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée

Liquify - Soft Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas
Liquify - Soft Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas

Liquify - Soft Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas

By Elisabeth Grace

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Elisabeth Grace, a visionary artist based in Denver, CO (USA), is renowned for her immersive large-scale paintings, collages, murals, and installation art. With a BA in oil painting ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Canvas

Sea Within - Gifts of the Silent Tide
Sea Within - Gifts of the Silent Tide

Sea Within - Gifts of the Silent Tide

By Natalia Borisenko

Located in Zofingen, AG

Series: Sea Within — Journey Between Light and Silence. A visual meditation on strength and serenity, this work is part of the Sea Within series — where the ocean becomes a metaphor ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Clipping Scarf

Clipping Scarf

By Jonas Wood

Located in London, GB

Jonas Wood Clipping Scarf, 2017 Silk and modal blend scarf 126.0 x 126.0 cm Basketballs, ceramics, and lush plants fill Jonas Wood’s paintings, drawings, and prints, which mostly co...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Fabric, Silk

Computer, Bletchley Park - British Color Photography
Computer, Bletchley Park - British Color Photography

Computer, Bletchley Park - British Color Photography

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

Computer, from Richard Heeps Bletchley Park series. Richard photographed Bletchley Park in partnership with Hertfordshire University and Bletchley Park Trust, to document Alan Turing’s historic past at Bletchley. He was privileged to gain access not open to the public. This World War II German Enigma Machine...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Chitalpa 3

Thomas SlateChitalpa 3, 2020

$400Sale Price|20% Off

Chitalpa 3

By Thomas Slate

Located in Santa Fe, NM

cyanotype, acrylic on canvas blue, white, cyan Thomas uses a cyanotype photographic process incorporated into his paintings. The layering process of his paintings evoke a sense of d...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Photogram

Girls in a Taxi - Naïve art, comical, colourful, Folk art, everyday life
Girls in a Taxi - Naïve art, comical, colourful, Folk art, everyday life

Girls in a Taxi - Naïve art, comical, colourful, Folk art, everyday life

Located in London, GB

Printer's Proof /5 Beryl Cook's appeal was classless and she rapidly became Britain’s most popular artist. She was a ‘heart and soul’ painter, compelled to paint with a passion. He...

Category

1980s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Screen

"John, Adirondacks", Adirondacks, NY, 2010

"John, Adirondacks", Adirondacks, NY, 2010

By Lynda Churilla

Located in Hudson, NY

In her new exhibition Churilla draws from her years spent as a swimmer, lifeguard, and athlete to capture the forgotten freedom and exuberance of days of youth spent on the water. V...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Guardian Red, Atelier
The Guardian Red, Atelier

The Guardian Red, Atelier

By Richard MacDonald

Located in Laguna Beach, CA

Long fascinated by the brilliant spectacle of Cirque du Soleil, Richard MacDonald has brought sculptures to life that have the intrigue, allure and beauty that has made Cirque du Sol...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Bronze

Contemporary Bronze desktop Sculpture Woodcock, bird, nature, wildlife, brown
Contemporary Bronze desktop Sculpture Woodcock, bird, nature, wildlife, brown

Contemporary Bronze desktop Sculpture Woodcock, bird, nature, wildlife, brown

By Richard Smith b.1955

Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Edition of 12 'Woodcock' by Richard Smith. A patinated bronze sculpture of a woodcock perched atop a fence post captures the subtle charm and quiet alertness of this elusive woodland...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Bronze

Pink Africa, Painting
Pink Africa, Painting

Pink Africa, Painting

By Manuel Santelices

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Movies, TV and magazines are constant source of inspiration. Fame, as fleckring and shallow it can be sometimes, is very intriguing to him. The worlds of fashion, society and pop cu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood Panel

Heritage 7 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, African Woman Hair

Heritage 7 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, African Woman Hair

By Arobieke Tomiwa

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 Gallery) About Artist Arobieke Tomiwa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Arizona -  Cactus Art
Arizona -  Cactus Art

Arizona - Cactus Art

Located in Manchester, GB

James Higginson, Arizona, 2024 Corten Steel 197 (H) x 87 (w) x 28 cm (d) Hand-signed by the artist on the base James Higginson finds inspiration in mid-century design, organic m...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Steel

Feminine Devine, figure within landscape of birch trees gold tones nature

Feminine Devine, figure within landscape of birch trees gold tones nature

By Audrey Frank Anastasi

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Paper paint color pencil ABOUT the artist: Audrey Frank Anastasi is a prolific feminist artist, working in painting, drawing, collage, mixed media, & printmaking. She is also curator, gallerist, educator and arts advocate. Most of Ms. Anastasi's figurative works are painted with her non-dominant left hand. She has created large bodies of works of birds, animals and birch trees. She has had 20 solo & 200 group shows. Her "ref-u-gee" series will be shown in 2020 at Medgar Evers College in collaboration with the Valentine Museum of Art, Brooklyn. Accompanying the show will be a limited-edition monograph w/ over 180 images and a foreword by Phyllis Braff. Ms. Anastasi's collage series was exhibited at Welancora Gallery, Brooklyn, in May, 2019. In 2018, ten paintings were exhibited in "Painting to Survive," curated by Yale critic Jonathan Weinberg. Book and catalog publications include "Stations of the Cross", SPQR press, BREUCKELEN magazine, “Audrey Frank Anastasi”, catalog essay Cindy Nemser, and "Collage," essay by Giancarlo T. Roma. Public art includes a portrait of Jo Davidson...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Paint, Paper, Color Pencil

Panthère Crystal Clear Full Fractal 110 cm
Panthère Crystal Clear Full Fractal 110 cm

Panthère Crystal Clear Full Fractal 110 cm

By Richard Orlinski

Located in PARIS, FR

Richard Orlinski is the best-selling French contemporary artist worldwide since 2015 (according to Artprice). This panther sculpture is an original work of art created in 2025. It i...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Epoxy Resin

Melody (Bombay Beach), 21st Century, Nude Photography

Melody (Bombay Beach), 21st Century, Nude Photography

By Tao Ruspoli

Located in Morongo Valley, CA

'Melody' (Bombay Beach), Edition 1/10, 30x20cm, 2018, C-Print, printed on Velvet Watercolor, 310gsm, Bright White, Acid Free, Signature label and Certificate. About Tao Ruspoli (bor...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment

Transition

Transition

By Alejandro Rubio

Located in San Francisco, CA

Alejandro Rubio Transition, 2024 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 60 inches This one-of-a-kind acrylic painting on canvas is stretched across wooden stretcher bars.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

La Majorelle Gardens. From the Interiors series
La Majorelle Gardens. From the Interiors series

La Majorelle Gardens. From the Interiors series

By Manuel Santelices

Located in Miami Beach, FL

A new series inspired by architecture, décor and stylish personalities of the world of interior design. The worlds of fashion, society and pop culture are captured in the illustrati...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Gouache

Interior: Red Couch and Landscape
Interior: Red Couch and Landscape

Interior: Red Couch and Landscape

By Mickalene Thomas

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is an American artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. As an openly gay Black woman,...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Varnish, Glitter, Archival Pigment, Screen

Miss Spring
Miss Spring

Miss Spring

By Yoshitomo Nara

Located in London, GB

Digital pigment print on Takeo Deep PV Hakou paper and hardback book 27.9 x 22.9 cm Edition of 100 + 5 APs It was produced in Tokyo under the direction of the artist. Each print com...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

Tyler Shields - Pointe, Photography 2014, Printed After
Tyler Shields - Pointe, Photography 2014, Printed After

Tyler Shields - Pointe, Photography 2014, Printed After

By Tyler Shields

Located in Stamford, CT

Series: Dirty Side of Glamour Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura Luster Paper Available Sizes: 22.5" x 30" 30" x 40" 45" x 60" 56" x 72" 63" x 84" Edition of 3 + 2 Artist Proofs Hard...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

C Print

Classical Memory in Neon Light Oil Painting on Canvas, Surreal, 30x38in, Signed
Classical Memory in Neon Light Oil Painting on Canvas, Surreal, 30x38in, Signed

Classical Memory in Neon Light Oil Painting on Canvas, Surreal, 30x38in, Signed

By Paula Craioveanu

Located in Forest Hills, NY

"Classical Memory in Neon Light" . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped rolled in a tube from Europe using DHL or FedEx, no custom or import fees in the US/ and...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ice Cream Truck, Oil Painting
Ice Cream Truck, Oil Painting

Ice Cream Truck, Oil Painting

By Hadley Northrop

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In the search for cozy-looking campers, artist Hadley Northrop discovered that some trucks have the same appeal. This particular food truck appeared at an outdo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Oil

Sentimental Beauty - 21st Century Contemporary, Expressionism, Portrait, Modern
Sentimental Beauty - 21st Century Contemporary, Expressionism, Portrait, Modern

Sentimental Beauty - 21st Century Contemporary, Expressionism, Portrait, Modern

By Joshua Salami

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, Acrylic

Fax, idling its sails

Fax, idling its sails

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

Located in London, GB

Ian Hamilton Finlay Fax, idling its sails, 1992 Screenprint 17 x 89 cm 6.7 x 35 inches Britain's leading concrete poet and a distinguished artist, Ian Hamilton Finlay produced work ...

Category

1990s Contemporary Art

Materials

Screen

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.