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Mysterious Shadow Figure in Red - Contemporary Dark Art Oil Painting
Mysterious Shadow Figure in Red - Contemporary Dark Art Oil Painting

Mysterious Shadow Figure in Red - Contemporary Dark Art Oil Painting

By Jean Soyer

Located in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

A powerful abstract oil painting on canvas (31.5 x 31.5 inches) by contemporary artist Jean Soyer

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jo Haran, Jewel Heads in Darkness, Contemporary Floral Art, Affordable Art
Jo Haran, Jewel Heads in Darkness, Contemporary Floral Art, Affordable Art

Jo Haran, Jewel Heads in Darkness, Contemporary Floral Art, Affordable Art

By Jo Haran

Located in Deddington, GB

Jewel Heads in Darkness [2021] Original Flowers Gouache, watercolour ink and gesso. Image size: H

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache

Paisaiak VII - 21st Century, Contemporary Art, Water, Landscape Painting, Dark
Paisaiak VII - 21st Century, Contemporary Art, Water, Landscape Painting, Dark

Paisaiak VII - 21st Century, Contemporary Art, Water, Landscape Painting, Dark

By Jon Errazu

Located in Barcelona, Catalonia

appeal to me. I use art as an instrument to analyze my own reality. The truth is that I do not start from

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, India Ink, Mixed Media

Jo Haran, Jewel Heads in Darkness, Contemporary Floral Art, Mixed Media Art
Jo Haran, Jewel Heads in Darkness, Contemporary Floral Art, Mixed Media Art

Jo Haran, Jewel Heads in Darkness, Contemporary Floral Art, Mixed Media Art

By Jo Haran

Located in Deddington, GB

Jewel Heads in Darkness [2021] Original Flowers Gouache, watercolour ink and gesso. Image size: H

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache

Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter
Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter

Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter

By Angela Wakefield

Located in Preston, GB

Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Painting by Contemporary British Painter Angela

Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...

"Dark Nude"  Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting

"Dark Nude" Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting

Located in Brecon, Powys

Samantha Millington’s unique style of figurative art pops and zings from the canvas while also

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Dark Sea under Clouded Sky contemporary landscape painting
Dark Sea under Clouded Sky contemporary landscape painting

Dark Sea under Clouded Sky contemporary landscape painting

By Katherine Kean

Located in Palm Desert, CA

Dark Sea under Clouded Sky captures the fierce energy of a restless sea under an approaching storm

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Linen, Oil

Abject Art -Figurative Dark Oil on Canvas Contemporary Painting - Gothic Culture
Abject Art -Figurative Dark Oil on Canvas Contemporary Painting - Gothic Culture

Abject Art -Figurative Dark Oil on Canvas Contemporary Painting - Gothic Culture

By Raminta S. R. Mint

Located in Vilnius, Vilniaus apskr.

Raminta's works relates to the human body but not as we are accustomed to seeing it. The newes circle of her works - Monstrare (from Latin, “to show, to demonstrate”) - frames the bo...

Category

2010s Gothic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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Recent Sales

Etsu - Contemporary, woman portrait, acrylic, dot, pop art, dark green, asian
Etsu - Contemporary, woman portrait, acrylic, dot, pop art, dark green, asian

Etsu - Contemporary, woman portrait, acrylic, dot, pop art, dark green, asian

By Chamnan Chongpaiboon

Located in Bangkok, Bangkok

Textural free hand dot painting of woman portrait in pop style with orange bold lips, titled “Jytte" sized 39" x 47" (100 x 120 cm) featuring red, green and a touch of yellow color ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Crosscut Black

Shayne DarkCrosscut Black, 2013

Unavailable

H 23 in W 26 in

Crosscut Black

By Shayne Dark

Located in Calgary, Alberta

, Canadian Art Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ESPACE magazine to name a few. Dark has

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Windfall Series II No. 4
Windfall Series II No. 4

Shayne DarkWindfall Series II No. 4, 2017

Unavailable

H 17.5 in W 14 in D 11.5 in

Windfall Series II No. 4

By Shayne Dark

Located in Calgary, Alberta

, Canadian Art Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ESPACE magazine to name a few. Dark has

Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Epoxy Resin, Wood

Windfall Series II No. 1
Windfall Series II No. 1

Shayne DarkWindfall Series II No. 1, 2017

Unavailable

H 13.5 in W 8 in D 8.5 in

Windfall Series II No. 1

By Shayne Dark

Located in Calgary, Alberta

, Canadian Art Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ESPACE magazine to name a few. Dark has

Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Epoxy Resin, Wood

the haunting - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography
the haunting - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography

the haunting - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography

By Tina Ribarits

Located in Wien, Wien

Tina Ribarits the haunting - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography Edition 2/3 + 2 AP Print is

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Black and White

Contemporary, Dark, American Oil Painting on Canvas

Contemporary, Dark, American Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Fort Worth, TX

figure of the contemporary Fort Worth art scene, Daniel Blagg has worked in the DFW area for over four

Category

2010s American Realist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Exercise One, 2020, Rui Tavares, Contemporary Art, Mixed Media on MDF, Dark Grey
Exercise One, 2020, Rui Tavares, Contemporary Art, Mixed Media on MDF, Dark Grey

Exercise One, 2020, Rui Tavares, Contemporary Art, Mixed Media on MDF, Dark Grey

By Rui Tavares

Located in Lisboa, PT

This work by Rui Tavares is part of his most recent exhibition Ensaio para uma Edificação do Vazio (Essay for an Edification of Void), 2020, at Galeria São Mamede. The artist explore...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Condensed darkness
Condensed darkness

Kigin YangCondensed darkness, 2016

Unavailable

H 10 in W 16 in

Condensed darkness

Located in New York, NY

from Gyeong-Gi Cultural Foundation(2018) and also a selected artist of Soma Art Museum Drawing Center

Category

2010s Contemporary Paintings

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Target, contemporary abstract, acrylic painting, dark blue & light blue

Target, contemporary abstract, acrylic painting, dark blue & light blue

By Stephanie Henderson

Located in Memphis, TN

Stephanie Lear Henderson is a painter who works primarily in hard-edge abstraction. Her work revolves around bold, saturated color and how colors communicate with each other and aff...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Vanilla Fight - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills
Vanilla Fight - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

Vanilla Fight - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

By Aline Schwibbe

Located in Berlin, DE

Memory and past trauma play a significant role in Aline Schwibbe’s varied practice. Schwibbe revisits fragmented memories which she considers to be in a cyclical occurrence rather th...

Category

2010s Other Art Style Mixed Media

Materials

Fabric, Oil Pastel, Digital

Riot Gear - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills
Riot Gear - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

Riot Gear - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

By Aline Schwibbe

Located in Berlin, DE

Memory and past trauma play a significant role in Aline Schwibbe’s varied practice. Schwibbe revisits fragmented memories which she considers to be in a cyclical occurrence rather th...

Category

2010s Other Art Style Mixed Media

Materials

Fabric, Oil Pastel, Digital

Heavy Enough - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills
Heavy Enough - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

Heavy Enough - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

By Aline Schwibbe

Located in Berlin, DE

Memory and past trauma play a significant role in Aline Schwibbe’s varied practice. Schwibbe revisits fragmented memories which she considers to be in a cyclical occurrence rather th...

Category

2010s Other Art Style Mixed Media

Materials

Fabric, Oil Pastel, Digital

Angel of Darkness- Contemporary, Etching, 21st Century (framed)

Angel of Darkness- Contemporary, Etching, 21st Century (framed)

By John Moore

Located in Johannesburg, South Africa

with his love of art. Due to his childhood experiences, John started to create detailed designs in his

Category

2010s Contemporary Animal Prints

Materials

Etching

the haunting 3/3 - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography
the haunting 3/3 - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography

the haunting 3/3 - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography

By Tina Ribarits

Located in Wien, Wien

Tina Ribarits the haunting - Contemporary Dark Landscape Photography Edition 3/3 + 2 AP Print is

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Black and White

Dark Sunrise
Dark Sunrise

Maggi HamblingDark Sunrise, 2022

Unavailable

H 10 in W 14 in D 0.5 in

Dark Sunrise

Located in Monmouth, GB

(born Suffolk, 1945) is a household name in British art. She was the First Artist in Residence at the

Category

2010s Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peacock (Dark)
Peacock (Dark)

Deborah DavidsonPeacock (Dark), 2019

Unavailable

H 48 in W 24 in

Peacock (Dark)

By Deborah Davidson

Located in Santa Monica, CA

Deborah Davidson Peacock (Dark), 2019 oil on canvas 48 x 24" Deborah Davidson’s paintings mimic

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dark Noise
Dark Noise

Bella FeldmanDark Noise

Unavailable

H 20 in W 20 in D 20 in

Dark Noise

By Bella Feldman

Located in Danvers, MA

Bella Feldman- Dark Noise

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stainless Steel

Dark Matter

Aleksandra RdestDark Matter, 2013

Unavailable

H 7 in W 7 in

Dark Matter

By Aleksandra Rdest

Located in Oakville, ON

Watercolour

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

"Darkness Descending"

"Darkness Descending", 2018

Unavailable

H 16 in W 20 in

"Darkness Descending"

Located in New York, NY

Contemporary and landscape painting by artist, Zacaffeine. High quality oil paint on wood panel

Category

2010s Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Dark Energy

Pietrina CheccacciDark Energy, 1990

Unavailable

H 23.63 in W 35.44 in

Dark Energy

By Pietrina Checcacci

Located in New Rochelle, NY

Pietrina Checcacci was born in Taranto, Italy. Currently, she lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Checcacci studied at the National School of Fine Arts from 1958 to 1964 and has won n...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dark Descent
Dark Descent

Gönül NuhoğluDark Descent, 2020

Unavailable

H 15.75 in W 11.42 in D 7.88 in

Dark Descent

Located in Istanbul, 34

forth between fictional realities. In the contemporary period, the concept of private property

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Silver, Bronze, Copper

Dark Trellis

Vincent PomilioDark Trellis, 2024

Unavailable

H 34 in W 28 in

Dark Trellis

By Vincent Pomilio

Located in New York, NY

Trained in traditional venetian plaster, Vincent employs a unique material approach to his work, creating pieces by carefully layering, carving, coloring, and burnishing. This proces...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Plaster, Wax, Acrylic

Dark Abstract Contemporary Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas 2018

Dark Abstract Contemporary Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas 2018

Located in New York, NY

In "Nervous Dreams", contemporary artist Millie Weeks uses a dark colour palette in combination

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic

Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows

Dorothy Simpson KrauseDark Shadows, 2008

Unavailable

H 36 in W 36 in D 1.5 in

Dark Shadows

By Dorothy Simpson Krause

Located in Stowe, VT

“Dark Shadows” is a 36 x 36 inch multi layered work made with an archival pigment print of

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Copper

Dark Bay
Dark Bay

Ross RichmondDark Bay, 2021

Unavailable

H 16 in W 6 in D 9 in

Dark Bay

By Ross Richmond

Located in Seattle, WA

For the majority of his career, Ross Richmond’s sculptures have focused mainly on the figure, capturing a moment, a gesture, a quiet interaction between people or an individual, and ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Blown Glass

WWW, Dark
WWW, Dark

WWW, Dark

By Linda K Schinkel and Theodore M Schinkel

Located in Detroit, MI

the internet incarnate. Developed at the intersection of art + science from old world techniques

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Metal

The Darkness
The Darkness

Petr PavlikThe Darkness, 2020-2021

Unavailable

H 17.33 in W 7.88 in D 7.88 in

The Darkness

Located in London, GB

The Darkness a unique sculpture by artist Petr Pavlik belongs to a series of ‘tabletop sculptures

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paint, Found Objects, Glitter, Mixed Media

Dark Walk

Dark Walk

By Katherine Bowling

Located in New York, NY

Oil on spackle on wood panel.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Darkness Falls
Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

By Linda K Schinkel and Theodore M Schinkel

Located in Detroit, MI

Stumbling upon a haunting "graveyard" of dead trees, the artists' were captivated by its surreal beauty deep within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI. The following day, as ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Metal

A darker summer
A darker summer

Thomas DozolA darker summer, 2015

Unavailable

H 15.75 in W 19.69 in

A darker summer

By Thomas Dozol

Located in Stockholm, SE

abstract photographic studies. Dozol has created two photographs for Absolut Art, both of which relate to

Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink

Dark Paradise III
Dark Paradise III

Barbara WildenboerDark Paradise III, 2013

Unavailable

H 18.5 in W 22 in

Dark Paradise III

By Barbara Wildenboer

Located in Mill Valley, CA

Barbara Wildenboer was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1973. She obtained a Masters in Fine Art

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper

Dark Paradise I
Dark Paradise I

Barbara WildenboerDark Paradise I, 2013

Unavailable

H 18.5 in W 22 in

Dark Paradise I

By Barbara Wildenboer

Located in Mill Valley, CA

Barbara Wildenboer was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1973. She obtained a Masters in Fine Art

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Paper

THANKSGIVING (DARK)

Yaacov AgamTHANKSGIVING (DARK)

Unavailable

H 27 in W 34 in

THANKSGIVING (DARK)

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Pompano Beach, FL

THANKSGIVING (DARK), and it is FROM THE EDITION OF /LIV. Signed in pencil by Mr. Agam. Offered unframed, in

Category

1980s Contemporary Prints and Multiples

Materials

Screen

Dark Moon 6

Joe BrubakerDark Moon 6, 2019

Unavailable

H 24 in W 24 in D 3 in

Dark Moon 6

By Joe Brubaker

Located in Mill Valley, CA

A cedar, black paint, and graphite powder mixed media abstract piece by Joe Brubaker.

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Cedar, Graphite

Dark Moon 5

Joe BrubakerDark Moon 5, 2017

Unavailable

H 26 in W 25 in

Dark Moon 5

By Joe Brubaker

Located in Mill Valley, CA

A cedar, black paint, and graphite powder abstract mixed media piece by Joe Brubaker.

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Cedar, Graphite

Dark Horse 11.30.15
Dark Horse 11.30.15

John O'ReillyDark Horse 11.30.15, 2015

Unavailable

H 18 in W 14 in

Dark Horse 11.30.15

By John O'Reilly

Located in San Francisco, CA

creative freedom—a freedom echoed in the representations of the mountains and soaring birds. The dark

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Found Objects, Paper

Dark Matter VI
Dark Matter VI

William FaresDark Matter VI, 2021

Unavailable

H 29.5 in W 29.5 in

Dark Matter VI

By William Fares

Located in New York, NY

Hand-signed and dated on the back Custom contemporary frame dimensions: 40" x 40"

Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

How I Prayed in Prague - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills
How I Prayed in Prague - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

How I Prayed in Prague - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

By Aline Schwibbe

Located in Berlin, DE

Memory and past trauma play a significant role in Aline Schwibbe’s varied practice. Schwibbe revisits fragmented memories which she considers to be in a cyclical occurrence rather th...

Category

2010s Other Art Style Mixed Media

Materials

Fabric, Oil Pastel, Digital

Dark Water 1049.15
Dark Water 1049.15

John de WitDark Water 1049.15, 2015

Unavailable

H 11 in W 12.5 in

Dark Water 1049.15

By John de Wit

Located in Seattle, WA

Artist John de Wit first worked with glass at Pilchuck Glass School in the 1970s before graduating with a degree in glass and ceramic design from California State University. His ski...

Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Blown Glass

Dark Moon VI

Joe BrubakerDark Moon VI, 2019

Unavailable

H 24 in W 24 in D 3 in

Dark Moon VI

By Joe Brubaker

Located in Mill Valley, CA

A wall sculpture made using cedar, black paint, and graphite powder,

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Cedar, Acrylic, Graphite

Dark moon 5

Joe BrubakerDark moon 5, 2017

Unavailable

H 26 in W 25 in

Dark moon 5

By Joe Brubaker

Located in Mill Valley, CA

A wall hanging sculpture made from cedar, black paint, and graphite powder.

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Cedar, Acrylic, Graphite

Dark Moon 2
Dark Moon 2

Joe BrubakerDark Moon 2, 2017

Unavailable

H 17 in W 13 in D 4 in

Dark Moon 2

By Joe Brubaker

Located in Mill Valley, CA

The wooden carved figures of Joe Brubaker echo sources of inspiration from Spanish colonial Santos and retablo objects to Egyptian tomb figure and Buddhist stone carvings. In recent ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Cedar, Acrylic, Graphite

Dark Matter VII
Dark Matter VII

William FaresDark Matter VII

Unavailable

H 40 in W 40 in

Dark Matter VII

By William Fares

Located in New York, NY

Hand-signed and dated verso

Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Illustration Board

"Dark Pines"  Wolf Kahn  28 × 39.5"  Contemporary Landscape

"Dark Pines" Wolf Kahn 28 × 39.5" Contemporary Landscape

By Wolf Kahn

Located in Cleveland, OH

Wolf Kahn "Dark Pines" 28 × 39.5" Silk screen, Signed by artist in pencil Ed 108 $1900 Wolf Kahn

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Color-Field Landscape Prints

Materials

Screen, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Dark Father Accretion Vase
Dark Father Accretion Vase

The Haas BrothersDark Father Accretion Vase, 2014

Unavailable

H 13.5 in W 5.5 in D 7 in

Dark Father Accretion Vase

By The Haas Brothers

Located in New York, NY

Dark Father Accretion Vase (2014) Hand-thrown vase with porcelain slip in Light Syzurp glaze

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Dark Bar
Dark Bar

Peter AntonDark Bar, 2015

Unavailable

H 23 in W 8 in D 4 in

Dark Bar

By Peter Anton

Located in New York, NY

Mixed Media

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Sculptures

Materials

Acrylic, Clay, Resin, Wax, Wood

By the Skin of my Teeth - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills
By the Skin of my Teeth - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

By the Skin of my Teeth - contemporary, fabric, print, dark colours, film stills

By Aline Schwibbe

Located in Berlin, DE

Memory and past trauma play a significant role in Aline Schwibbe’s varied practice. Schwibbe revisits fragmented memories which she considers to be in a cyclical occurrence rather th...

Category

2010s Other Art Style Mixed Media

Materials

Fabric, Oil Pastel, Digital

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Contemporary Dark Art For Sale on 1stDibs

On 1stDibs, you can find the most appropriate piece of contemporary dark art for your needs in our varied inventory. In our selection of items, you can find Contemporary examples as well as a Abstract version. Making the right choice when shopping for an item from our selection of contemporary dark art may mean carefully reviewing examples of this item dating from different eras — you can find an early iteration of this piece from the 18th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century. If you’re looking to add a choice in our collection of contemporary dark art to create new energy in an otherwise neutral space in your home, you can find a work on 1stDibs that features elements of black, gray, brown, beige and more. There have been many interesting object in our assortment of contemporary dark art examples over the years, but those made by Shayne Dark, Stefanie Schneider, Isabelle Menin, Eve Stockton and Mary Judge are often thought to be among the most thought-provoking. Frequently made by artists working in paint, paper and fabric, these artworks are unique and have attracted attention over the years. A large option in this array of contemporary dark art can be an attractive addition to some spaces, while smaller examples are available — approximately spanning 0.4 high and 2.5 wide — and may be better suited to a more modest living area.

How Much is a Contemporary Dark Art?

The price for a piece of contemporary dark art in our collection starts at $112 and tops out at $150,000 with the average selling for $3,090.

A Close Look at 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.

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