Leo Maes
Antique Late 19th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Vases
Earthenware
1990s Contemporary Color Photography
Color, Polaroid
1990s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Color
1990s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Paper, Color, Lithograph
1980s Contemporary Color Photography
Color, Polaroid
People Also Browsed
1960s Modern Color Photography
Lambda
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Vases
Rock Crystal
Vintage 1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Ceramics
Ceramic
Antique 1890s Belgian Art Nouveau Vases
Earthenware
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Vases
Ceramic
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Vases
Stoneware
Vintage 1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Ceramics
Ceramic
20th Century Art Nouveau Ceramics
Ceramic
Antique 1890s German Vases
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century French Art Nouveau Vases
Ceramic
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Vases
Silver
Early 20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Vases
Ceramic
Antique Early 1900s English Art Nouveau Ceramics
Silver
Vintage 1910s Danish Jugendstil Vases
Pottery
Antique Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Vases
Stoneware
20th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Ceramics
Recent Sales
1990s Contemporary Color Photography
Color, Polaroid
1990s Contemporary Color Photography
Color, Paper
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.