Dazor Model 100
Early 2000s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Pigment
Early 2000s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Thread, Black and White
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Thread, Paper, Digital, Black and White
2010s Contemporary Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Paper, Intaglio
People Also Browsed
Antique 1880s Swiss Black Forest Wall Brackets
Softwood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Paper
Early 2000s Pop Art Mixed Media
Offset
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Chairs
Satinwood, Walnut
1990s German Post-Modern Books
Steel, Chrome
1990s Contemporary Nude Photography
Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Antique 1880s Swiss Black Forest Inkwells
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Tables
Satinwood, Walnut
Late 20th Century Monacan Modern Books
Metal
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Chairs
Satinwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Thai Other Wall-mounted Sculptures
Lead, Tin
Late 20th Century British Modern Photography
Paper
Antique 1880s Swiss Black Forest Scientific Instruments
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Late 20th Century British Modern Photography
Paper
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Iron
Early 2000s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Pigment
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Acrylic, Giclée
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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