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.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Contemporary Art
Marble, Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Platinum
2010s Contemporary Art
Animal Skin, Polymer
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Panel, Digital, Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Iron
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Linocut
1990s Contemporary Art
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Ink, Mixed Media, Gouache, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood Panel, Cardboard, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Mixed Media, Gouache, Bamboo Paper, Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Screen
1950s Contemporary Art
Film, Photographic Film, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Porcelain
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Color Pencil
1980s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Gouache, Ink
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Screen
1990s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
India Ink, Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Oil, Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Paper, Tempera, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Digital
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Porcelain
Artist Comments
It’s an end-of-day moment, with the last bit of sunlight warmly illuminating the front porch and hedge of a Victorian house. The scene exudes a sense of cal...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Plexiglass, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Wood, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Rag Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Wood, Lights, LED Light, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Neon Light
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Panel, Monoprint, Woodcut, Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
1990s Contemporary Art
Other Medium
1970s Contemporary Art
Offset
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment