David Halliday Shell

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.

When it comes to accenting a home or collection with visual art, still-life photography complements all design aesthetics. And there are numerous ways to arrange your still-life photography and other wall art in your home. A salon-style gallery wall, for example, presents the opportunity to intersperse photographs and prints with such items as wall sculptures, baskets, plates, mirrors and sconces. For a harmonious mix, however, choose still-life photos with the same general palette as the other artworks.

Ranging from minimalist scenes to lavish, campy arrangements, still-life photography encompasses multiple genres to fit any taste. Following the tradition of still-life painting, still-life photography elevates often ordinary, inanimate objects. When photography was a new medium in the 19th century, daguerreotype and salt-print still lifes frequently mimicked the arrangements that had been popular in painting. In the 20th century, still-life photographs evolved, reshaped by the experimentation of modernism.

Far more versatile than the name implies, still-life photography involves numerous styles and themes. Photographers like Stefanie Schneider use still lifes to capture their subjects in their most raw state. They can also create hyperreal scenes that border on Pop art, such as in the work of Giuliano Bekor.

Find still-life photographs on 1stDibs by artists including Dora Franco, Allan Forsyth, Stuart Möller and many more.