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.
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment, Rag Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin, Glass, Wood, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photogra...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Ink, Linocut
2010s Contemporary Art
Resin, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Mixed Media, Board
1970s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
20th Century Contemporary Art
Ceramic, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Paint, Paper, Watercolor, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Porcelain
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Digital
2010s Contemporary Art
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Glass, Mixed Media, Pigment
1960s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
C Print
1970s Contemporary Art
Watercolor, Etching
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Found Objects, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Birch, Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Stainless Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Alkyd, Paint, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Wood, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
C Print
1970s Contemporary Art
Paint, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Plexiglass, C Print
2010s Contemporary Art
Other Medium, Tapestry
2010s Contemporary Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Digital
1980s Contemporary Art
Screen
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Textile, Mixed Media, Fabric
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Canvas
1970s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Screen
2010s Contemporary Art
Glass, Plexiglass, Neon Light
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Linen, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Brass
1990s Contemporary Art
Graphite, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Art
Paint, Paper, Acrylic