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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
Calm Mood #2 - Abstract 'I LOVE YOU' Graffiti Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Calm Mood #2 - Abstract 'I LOVE YOU' Graffiti Mixed Media Painting on Canvas

Calm Mood #2 - Abstract 'I LOVE YOU' Graffiti Mixed Media Painting on Canvas

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, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Good Time - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Women Love
Good Time - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Women Love

Good Time - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Women Love

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

Serie Dibujos Felices 10 - Original Red Blue Watercolor and Ink Artwork on Paper
Serie Dibujos Felices 10 - Original Red Blue Watercolor and Ink Artwork on Paper

Serie Dibujos Felices 10 - Original Red Blue Watercolor and Ink Artwork on Paper

By "Sergio ""Valenz"" Valenzuela"

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Sergio Valenzuela “Valenz” is a contemporary Guatemalan artist who tells stories with everyday objects, primarily expressing them with graphite and acrylic on canvas. His artworks pr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Gold Flora Shadows Magnolia - Metallic Botanical Cyanotype Painting Flowers 2023
Gold Flora Shadows Magnolia - Metallic Botanical Cyanotype Painting Flowers 2023

Gold Flora Shadows Magnolia - Metallic Botanical Cyanotype Painting Flowers 2023

By Julia Whitney Barnes

Located in Kent, CT

In this contemporary botanical cyanotype painting in watercolor, gouache, India ink, gold pigments and tea-toned cyanotype on cotton watercolor paper, meticulously detailed flowers a...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper, Pigment, Tea

Sun loungers on the Beach, panorama landscape - color photography, limited
Sun loungers on the Beach, panorama landscape - color photography, limited

Sun loungers on the Beach, panorama landscape - color photography, limited

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Gerald Berghammer - Color panorama landscape photography. Empty beach with blue lounge chairs, umbrellas, and gazebos on sand under a cloudy sky. Archival pigment ink print as part ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Digital Pigment

"Cairn #2 (5 Stack)" Stacked Takeout Containers Porcelain Sculpture
"Cairn #2 (5 Stack)" Stacked Takeout Containers Porcelain Sculpture

"Cairn #2 (5 Stack)" Stacked Takeout Containers Porcelain Sculpture

By Yoonmi Nam

Located in Philadelphia, PA

"Cairn #2 (5 Stack)" is an original green ceramic sculpture by Yoonmi Nam made from directly slip casting the negative space of precariously stacked takeout containers and finishing ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Porcelain, Glaze

Open the Right Mind
Open the Right Mind

Open the Right Mind

By JOHNSON TSANG

Located in Manchester, GB

Johnson Tsang (b. 1960s), Searching for Spring, Limited Edition Resin Sculpture Johnson Tsang, Searching for Spring, 2020 Medium: Polished matte-resin wall sculpture 21 x 28 x 28 cm...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Resin

Minimalist Waterscape with Lotus Flowers, Black and White Photograph, Vietnam
Minimalist Waterscape with Lotus Flowers, Black and White Photograph, Vietnam

Minimalist Waterscape with Lotus Flowers, Black and White Photograph, Vietnam

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21348 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

Magic of Blue - 'I Love You'  Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas
Magic of Blue - 'I Love You'  Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas

Magic of Blue - 'I Love You' Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas

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, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

The Watchers
The Watchers

The Watchers

Located in Zofingen, AG

On the red ground, black silhouettes stand still — quiet, alert, unbothered. They guard nothing and search for nothing — they simply see. Their presence fills the space with a weight...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Pigeon. Bird. Animals. Birds. Small. Black. Gray. Green. Urban
Pigeon. Bird. Animals. Birds. Small. Black. Gray. Green. Urban

Pigeon. Bird. Animals. Birds. Small. Black. Gray. Green. Urban

Located in Oslo, NO

This striking oil painting features a solitary pigeon set against a deep black background, emphasizing the bird's delicate form and subtle elegance. The pigeon is rendered in metic...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

St. Nectans Glen, Waterfall, England, monochrome photograph waterscape limited
St. Nectans Glen, Waterfall, England, monochrome photograph waterscape limited

St. Nectans Glen, Waterfall, England, monochrome photograph waterscape limited

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21370 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

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

Foggy Slave Cliff – Faroe Islands – Black and White Landscape – Limited Edition
Foggy Slave Cliff – Faroe Islands – Black and White Landscape – Limited Edition

Foggy Slave Cliff – Faroe Islands – Black and White Landscape – Limited Edition

By Gerald Berghammer

Located in Vienna, Vienna

Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21352 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

Royalty 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women

Royalty 1 - 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.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Whispers of Trust
Whispers of Trust

Whispers of Trust

Located in Zofingen, AG

Through my artworks, I embark on a visual exploration of how each of us can shape our own reality, discover inner balance, and radiate that harmony to the world around us. This paint...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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

Ignite2
Ignite2

Ignite2

Located in Zofingen, AG

In my work, I explore how inherited emotional distance turns into a lifelong search for intimacy. I am interested in moments in which connection does not require justification, where...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mother India II, Delhi - India Color Street Photograph of Books
Mother India II, Delhi - India Color Street Photograph of Books

Mother India II, Delhi - India Color Street Photograph of Books

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

Mother India, photograph from Richard Heeps series 'The Ambassador's Window', a pilgrimage from Kerala in the South to Meerut in the North, the birthplace of his Grandfather. As boo...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Off-White Figurative Painting on Large-Scale Canvas, 2025 - 'Pugnator 065'
Off-White Figurative Painting on Large-Scale Canvas, 2025 - 'Pugnator 065'

Off-White Figurative Painting on Large-Scale Canvas, 2025 - 'Pugnator 065'

Located in Bruxelles, BE

Chidy Wayne (b. 1981, Spain) is an artist based in Barcelona. Over the years, he has established himself as a recognized figure in the art world, developing a personal artistic langu...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Seascape XVIII Diptych - large scale abstract monochromatic ocean water surface
Seascape XVIII Diptych - large scale abstract monochromatic ocean water surface

Seascape XVIII Diptych - large scale abstract monochromatic ocean water surface

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

Large format abstract photograph diptych of mesmerizing water surface and ephemeral abstract ripple patterns from a series of photographic works capturing the monochromatic oceanic b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment

I Used to Dream - Original Figurative Vibrant Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
I Used to Dream - Original Figurative Vibrant Mixed Media Painting on Canvas

I Used to Dream - Original Figurative Vibrant Mixed Media Painting on Canvas

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Rooted in introspection and emotional nuance, Xenia Gray’s figurative mixed media works capture the quiet tension between solitude and connection. Her paintings often depict the huma...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic

Roland Garros 2014 Vintage Offset Print, Contemporary Style, Unframed
Roland Garros 2014 Vintage Offset Print, Contemporary Style, Unframed

Roland Garros 2014 Vintage Offset Print, Contemporary Style, Unframed

By Juan Uslé

Located in Brooklyn, NY

In 2014, Juan Uslé was commissioned to create the official Roland Garros poster, infusing the French Open with his distinctive abstract style. His design features flowing lines and v...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Offset

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.