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Photographer Brian Finke's work is a visual culture commentary that focuses on authenticity and the absurdity of everyday life as well as the range of human behavior. A stylized documentarian and trained photojournalist, Finke’s honesty and intimacy in capturing subjects strikes at the core of contemporary life, with a uniquely American point of context and graphic sensibility.

Often by way of boundary-pushing subject matter, Finke challenges viewers to confront what is often right in front of them, with an almost surreal understanding of immediacy, time and place. From street photography to commercial portraiture to fashion editorials, his immersion in culture-at-large creates imagery deeply tied to the political and emotional undertones of the modern world.

A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Finke received a BFA in photography. He is the author of several books, and his first monograph, 2-4-6-8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players (Umbrage Editions, 2003), was named one of the best photography books by American Photo magazine.

Earlier in his career, Finke was one of 12 artists nominated for the International Center for Photography’s annual Infinity Award, and he won a prestigious New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. His work is in nine museum collections in the U.S. and abroad, and he regularly shoots for editorial clients like National Geographic, the New Yorker, and the New York Times as well as commercial clients, including Delta Airlines, Uber Eats and Budweiser.

In addition to photographing his long-term personal projects, Finke is a guest teacher in photography at the International Center for Photography in Manhattan, the New School, Red Hook Labs in Brooklyn and FotoFilmic in Vancouver. A native Texan, he lives in Brooklyn and is passionate about travel, tattoos, barbecue and biking.

Find Brian Finke's color photography, landscape photography and more on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Brian Finke Studio)

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.

Life becomes art in figurative photography. Shared moments are captured and history is recorded in images of people and their lives.

Figurative photography is often used to describe a kind of photography in which people are the subject. Early black and white photography of people can be a glimpse into a past century — witness the celebrated work of photographers such as Ansel Adams or lesser-known artists like Berenice Abbott, for example. The cultural and social standards of the time are captured in these figurative photographs.

Mid-century photos might show the life and fashions of the day, sometimes with the shared thread of humanity, joy and love. Indeed, figurative photographs can be a source of inspiration and wonder, speaking of common life experiences and beauty. Vintage photos of celebrities and iconic actors can be valuable keepsakes as snapshots of a bygone era.

Just as if you were bringing paintings, prints or drawings into your space as part of the decor, there are many ways to arrange your figurative photography. Large photos can be statement pieces in a room. Smaller photographs can be placed on bookcases or on compact wall spaces to add an artistic element to a living room or a bedroom.

Find a collection of figurative photography on 1stDibs today.