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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
Recognized Seller Listings
Starry Night, by Chicano artist Frank Romero
Starry Night, by Chicano artist Frank Romero

Starry Night, by Chicano artist Frank Romero

By Frank Romero

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Signed and titled and numbered AP #3/7. This is the last print available from the edition. Silkscreen print Created at Self Help Graphics in Los Angeles This print was featured in “Dreamland”, the first solo exhibition of a Chicano artist at MOLAA (Museum of Latin American Art). This is the first time the entire museum has been dedicated to a single artist. It is one of the personal favorites of the artist, with a nod to Vincent Van gogh. Throughout his 40 year career as an artist, Frank Romero has been a dedicated member of the Los Angeles arts community. As a member of the 1970s Chicano art collective, Los Four...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Art

Materials

Screen

Day and Night #10
Day and Night #10

Day and Night #10

By Jung Lee

Located in Zurich, CH

Jung LEE (*1972, South Korea) Day and Night #10, 2012 Archival Pigment Print 176 × 220 cm (69 1/4 × 86 5/8 in.) Edition of 5, plus 2 AP Signed by the artist – Biography Jung Lee...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Day and Night #9
Day and Night #9

Day and Night #9

By Jung Lee

Located in Zurich, CH

Jung LEE (*1972, South Korea) Day and Night #9, 2012 Archival Pigment Print 176 × 220 cm (69 1/4 × 86 5/8 in.) Edition of 5, plus 2 AP Signed by the artist – Biography Jung Lee ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

JLO Jennifer Lopez and Pharrell Williams 3, Diptych. From the Glass Series
JLO Jennifer Lopez and Pharrell Williams 3, Diptych. From the Glass Series

JLO Jennifer Lopez and Pharrell Williams 3, Diptych. From the Glass Series

By Cristian Hunter

Located in Miami Beach, FL

This artwork was created by the artistic duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). These works are part of the archive managed and exhibited by Cristian Hunter. The artist's technique cons...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Glass, Mixed Media, Photographic Paper, Black and White, Archival Pigment

American West by Anouk Krantz 2021

American West by Anouk Krantz 2021

By Anouk Krantz

Located in Chicago, IL

American West (B&W) 2021 ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT Unframed Sizes: 40 x 60 in (101.6 x 152.4 cm) - Edition of 10 + 2 AP (Artist Proofs) SILVER GELATIN PRINT Unframed Size: 11.3 x 17 i...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Archival Pigment, Silver Gelatin

Celestine - expressive, textured, female, figurative, paper mache sculpture
Celestine - expressive, textured, female, figurative, paper mache sculpture

Celestine - expressive, textured, female, figurative, paper mache sculpture

By Paul Duval

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This lithe, elegant female figure was sculpted by Quebec artist Paul Duval. One of a series of paper mache, wire and metal table top pieces, each one imbued with a distinct personality. Duval uses simple gestures, posture, and colour to convey each character’s individuality. Celestine is clothed in a royal blue gown...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Wire

Homemade Hermes Birkin Bag ( Pink ) 2015 by Shelter Serra
Homemade Hermes Birkin Bag ( Pink ) 2015 by Shelter Serra

Homemade Hermes Birkin Bag ( Pink ) 2015 by Shelter Serra

By Shelter Serra

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Homemade Hermes Birkin Bag ( Kelly Green ) 2015, 15”x14.5”x1.5” inches unframed, 18.75 "x 18.75 x 2.5 framed Cast Resin, Edition of 15 Also available in Kelly Green, White, Gold and Silver. The frame is a white shadow box frame with plexiglass. The Homemade Hermes Birkin Bag is a sculpture that celebrates the beauty, and status, that the docents of fashion have bestowed upon coveted objects and accessories as such. In a Duchampian gesture of representation, the artist has created an object that has been “elevated to uselessness”, yet reveals much about our society’s infatuation with consumption and materialism. Cast in resin the sculpture becomes an apropos trope of our time, a perfect conversation starter. Shelter Serra’s paintings, sculptures, and drawings explore mass consumption and cultural identity. He juxtaposes subject matters that are both common and recognizable: a Campbell's Soup Can, a copper plated baseball hat, and a Hermes Birkin bag...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Enamel

Solstice, by Stephen McMillan
Solstice, by Stephen McMillan

Solstice, by Stephen McMillan

By Stephen McMillan

Located in Palm Springs, CA

A mountain cabin obscured by mist on a snowy mountain top surrounded by trees. Based on a view of Heather Meadows, Mt Baker Ski Area, WA. Signed titled and numbered in pencil from th...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Mountain Colors, by Stephen McMillan
Mountain Colors, by Stephen McMillan

Mountain Colors, by Stephen McMillan

By Art Werger

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Spring Flowers on Mt Baker from Skyline Divide, Mt Baker Wilderness, WA. "The trail out Skyline Divide follows a ridge toward Mt Baker. This was the view from my campsite on the rid...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Untitled VII. Painting. From the Medium - Screen Time series
Untitled VII. Painting. From the Medium - Screen Time series

Untitled VII. Painting. From the Medium - Screen Time series

By RODRIGO ETEM

Located in Miami Beach, FL

In this project, exploring the fluid condition between the virtual and real world, the artist seek to materialize my experiences in digital environments - whether browsing through G...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Oil, Giclée

'Thinking' Figurative Expressionist Portrait Painting
'Thinking' Figurative Expressionist Portrait Painting

'Thinking' Figurative Expressionist Portrait Painting

By La Ba Quan

Located in Rye, NY

‘Thinking’ is a medium size vertical expressionist figurative oil on canvas painting created by Vietnamese artist La Ba Quan in 2011. Featuring a palette made of grey, soft blue, green and pink, the painting brings to mind the fascinating aura of a Chaim Soutine. This expressionist painting is dominated by the tortuous lines of the man’s silhouette...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Aqua, Terra, Aero Trio - geometric abstract, mild steel, outdoor sculptures
Aqua, Terra, Aero Trio - geometric abstract, mild steel, outdoor sculptures

Aqua, Terra, Aero Trio - geometric abstract, mild steel, outdoor sculptures

By Jah Qube

Located in Bloomfield, ON

A collaborative project, artist Javid Jah and fabricator Alex Akbari of Qube Inc. re-designed this series from a recent public art exhibition in downtown Toronto, which was exhibited in collaboration with Roger Mooking and Wyandot artist Catherine Tammaro. The dynamic geometric form of the three pieces—Terra, Aqua and Aero (the elements of earth, water and air) is inspired by the ideas of cosmology (the study of the universe) and sacred ancestral principles. Forged from steel, light shines through the intricately detailed pattern of perforations on the surface. Each individual sculpture can also be used as a wood burning or gas fire pit...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Metal, Steel

Maelstrom Series No 3 - layered, intersecting, forged aluminum wall sculpture
Maelstrom Series No 3 - layered, intersecting, forged aluminum wall sculpture

Maelstrom Series No 3 - layered, intersecting, forged aluminum wall sculpture

By Shayne Dark

Located in Bloomfield, ON

Canadian sculptor Shayne Dark creates uniquely beautiful abstract pieces often inspired by nature. This new series called Maelstrom (a whirlpool in a sea or river) is a nod to the tumultuous times experienced by the world over the last two years. This arresting wall sculpture in celery green is hand forged from a series of small round aluminum rods layered in a circular wreath-like form. The dynamic energy of this piece is so palpable it almost appears to be in motion. “In my studio, I had a forced solitude with no interruptions, giving me plenty of time...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Metal

Skull and Cross Bones. by Frank Romero
Skull and Cross Bones. by Frank Romero

Skull and Cross Bones. by Frank Romero

By Frank Romero

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Medium: Serigraph Image Size: 12 x 12 inches Edition size: 12 Year” 2001 Skulls and skeletons are a common theme in Chicano and Mexican art, especially in relation to the Day of the Dead celebrations. Throughout his 40 year career as an artist, Frank Romero has been a dedicated member of the Los Angeles arts community. As a member of the 1970s Chicano art collective, Los Four, Romero and fellow artists Carlos Almaraz, Beto de la Rocha...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Art

Materials

Screen

"When the Moon and the Sky Talk About Flowers"

"When the Moon and the Sky Talk About Flowers"

By Ana Maria Hernando

Located in Lyons, CO

The artist describes this project: “I paint and draw flowers, not only out of mesmerized wonder for their presence on earth, but also as a rebellion against the labels of “decorative”, “inconsequential” and “superficial” that have been equated historically to the art of women...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph

Always There - Yellow, blue, green and cream lyrical and light acrylic on canvas
Always There - Yellow, blue, green and cream lyrical and light acrylic on canvas

Always There - Yellow, blue, green and cream lyrical and light acrylic on canvas

By Milly Ristvedt

Located in Bloomfield, ON

Spheres of lemon yellow intersect with dashes of lime and sky blue in this masterful composition by Milly Ristvedt. The square format of the canvas washed in light yellow and the restrained palette highlight the lyrical movement of form. Milly Ristvedt (b. 1942, Kimberley, BC) MA, RCA, began her career in Toronto in 1964 after studies with Takao Tanabe...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Old Man from the last Expo. Crayon pencil on archival paper
The Old Man from the last Expo. Crayon pencil on archival paper

The Old Man from the last Expo. Crayon pencil on archival paper

By Celso José Castro Daza

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Drawing on paper is his basic work tool, some are sketches of his surviving works, others are sketches of moments he documents. Undefined by medium, Celso Castro’s works each carry...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Carbon Pencil, Paper, Crayon, Ink, Watercolor

Cher, (Song) 1974/2004
Cher, (Song) 1974/2004

Cher, (Song) 1974/2004

By Francesco Scavullo

Located in Greenwich, CT

Cher is a silver gelatin print created in 2004 from a 1974 negative. An example of this photographic portrait is owned by the Smithsonian for their National Portrait Gallery who hold...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper, Silver Gelatin

August Still Life - contemporary, floral, still life, acrylic and oil on canvas
August Still Life - contemporary, floral, still life, acrylic and oil on canvas

August Still Life - contemporary, floral, still life, acrylic and oil on canvas

By Pat Service

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This delightful, colorful painting of a floral still life illustrates Pat Service’s superb use of color, pattern, texture and form. Inspired by the classic still life paintings of ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Untitled

Untitled

By Allison Gildersleeve

Located in Dallas, TX

"Behind my canvases, collages, and drawings lies a singular proposition: places are not inert; they are repositories for all that passes through them. My work is an inquiry into the ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic

Can you help me grow?. Color photography
Can you help me grow?. Color photography

Can you help me grow?. Color photography

By Michaela Haider

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Starting with photographic base elements, such as the figure or the landscape, Haider transforms the scenery into a surreal world through heavy post-production. She uses photographs,...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

Rag Paper, Archival Pigment

A Vast Valley with Yellow - painting, acrylic and ink on canvas
A Vast Valley with Yellow - painting, acrylic and ink on canvas

A Vast Valley with Yellow - painting, acrylic and ink on canvas

By Aron Hill

Located in Bloomfield, ON

The expressive minimalist paintings of Aron Hill find inspiration in organic natural forms. The Calgary artist’s compositions are often bold in colour—yellow, red, orange, bright pin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Flowers for Mary #4

Flowers for Mary #4

By Gail Norfleet

Located in Dallas, TX

Gail Norfleet earned her BFA at The University of Texas at Austin, and her MFA at Southern Methodist University. She has had solo exhibitions at The McKinney Avenue Contemporary and ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Art

Materials

India Ink, Acrylic, Illustration Board

Rudy. From Art, culture & society series
Rudy. From Art, culture & society series

Rudy. From Art, culture & society series

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

Watercolor, Charcoal, Pencil

Engulfment, Berlin #7. Nude in a landscape

Engulfment, Berlin #7. Nude in a landscape

By Javier Rey

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The first encounter I had with the abyss, was arriving to a place that does not exist, a point suspended in time where I am without being. An unreal world expands in front of me, eve...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Going to the Olympics
Going to the Olympics

Going to the Olympics

By Frank Romero

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Frank Romero created this serigraph after learning that the original mural, completed on the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, 1984, had been painted over. The mural, which was done for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, has since been restored. Signed and numbered by the artist in black marker, in lower left corner of print on black background - hard to see except at an angle. Throughout his 40 year career as an artist, Frank Romero has been a dedicated member of the Los Angeles arts community. As a member of the 1970s Chicano art collective, Los Four...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Screen

Pyzinerol

Pyzinerol

By Rex Ray

Located in Lyons, CO

Color lithograph, Edition 30 In 2010, Ray made his first lithographs at Shark’s Ink., Pyzinerol and Pyzinerol II. Ambitious prints with 18 colors from 15...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph

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.