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
Paper, Ink, Color Pencil
Artist Comments
Inspired by her garden, artist Judy Mackey photographed a pink rose and painted it up close. She used a palette knife to apply thick, textured strokes. The re...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Digital
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Watercolor, Gouache, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Wood
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Screen
1980s Contemporary Art
Photogravure
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1930s Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Plywood, Lacquer, Oil
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Parchment Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
1990s Contemporary Art
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Ink, Handmade Paper
2010s Contemporary Art
Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Art
Glass
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Art
Acrylic, Canvas
1990s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
20th Century Contemporary Art
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Steel
20th Century Contemporary Art
Marble, Bronze
Early 2000s Contemporary Art
Archival Pigment
1990s Contemporary Art
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, C Print, Polaroid
1980s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Art
Glass
2010s Contemporary Art
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
1950s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Rag Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
2010s Contemporary Art
Color, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Ink, Mixed Media, Gouache, Bamboo Paper, Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Ceramic
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Bronze
1970s Contemporary Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
This still life celebrates the simple beauty of homegrown produce. With warm tones and detailed brushwork, artist Steve Boggs captures the essence of his summer...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Oil
1980s Contemporary Art
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Wire
2010s Contemporary Art
Photographic Paper, Color, Giclée, Pigment, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
Giclée
2010s Contemporary Art
Steel
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
2010s Contemporary Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Art
Oil, Wood Panel
Late 20th Century Contemporary Art
Giclée, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Art
Paper, Oil, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Art
Conté, Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite