Waterford Fair

Rosie Emerson was born in 1981, is a contemporary artist working almost exclusively on representing the female form. Emerson’s figures draw reference from archetypes old and new, from Artemis to the modern-day supermodel, each solitary figure, an allegory of her fantasy. Interested in the surface, the interplay between photography and painting. Emerson’s works are playful constructs, photography is used, not as a device for capturing reality but for creating romanticized optical illusions. Inspired by her love of theatre, performance, shrines and rituals, she uses lighting, costume, set and prop making alongside printmaking and a painter’s palette to create one-off pieces that aim to be simultaneously known and unknown of this world and not. Her photography is inspired by both the drama of the baroque and ethereal qualities of Pre Raphaelite works. Other important influences include late medieval and renaissance paintings, Japanese prints and magical realist literature. Her work is widely collected and exhibited both in the UK as well as internationally, through galleries, art fairs and museums. She has also worked with brands and individuals including Harvey Nichols, The Ivy Club, Sony, Triumph Underwear, Redbull, P&O Cruises and Annoushka jewelry. Her work has also been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, AnOther Magazine, The Financial Times Magazine and The Sunday Times Style Magazine. In 2014, she was invited to be Artist in residence at Somerset House as part of The National Open Art Competition and was commissioned by Hackney WickED Arts Festival to create a new world record by making the world’s largest Cyanotype photograph. She was awarded the Bridgeman Studio Award and has been invited to take part in the Young Masters art Prize, exhibiting her works alongside old masters at Sphinx Gallery in London.

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.