Revere Ware
1980s Photorealist Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Still-life Sculptures
Silver, Brass, Steel
2010s Contemporary Still-life Sculptures
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Stoneware, Glaze
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Antique 18th Century Japanese Qing Ceramics
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
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Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Ceramics
Pottery, Stoneware
20th Century French Animal Sculptures
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Sculptures
Vinyl, Resin
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Ceramics
Stoneware
Late 20th Century Japanese Pottery
1970s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Stainless Steel
Antique 19th Century French Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Vases
Ceramic
Antique Late 19th Century German Victorian Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
2010s Mexican Candlesticks
Copper
1980s Photorealist Still-life Prints
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Metal, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Ceramics
Stoneware
19th Century Modern Figurative Prints
Woodcut
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2010s Contemporary More Art
Porcelain, Glaze
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Stoneware, Glaze
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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