Tony Matelli
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mirror
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Digital
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Still-life Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Digital
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Digital
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Textiles
Silk
Vintage 1970s American Space Age Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
2010s American Modern Stools
Sheepskin, Wood, Oak
2010s Turkish Night Stands
Wood, Paint
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Burl
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s English Art Deco End Tables
Maple
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Lacquer
Copper
2010s American Modern Decorative Art
Wool, Felt
Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Ceramics
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Granite, Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pedestals and Columns
Leather
2010s Italian Modern Daybeds
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Korean Other Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Figurative Sculptures
Wood
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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