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Modern Contemporary Art

MODERN STYLE

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chaircrafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

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Style: Modern
Color:  Purple
Dry Feet in the Ocean by Amela Rasi, Germany 2022
Located in Chicago, IL
A large scale abstract mixed media painting by German artist Amela Rasi. This piece is presented on a cotton canvas + was created using pigments and oil pastels. 2022. Amela Rasi is...
Category

2010s German Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Azulejos Portuguese Tile Panel "Age of Discovery Ship" Signed by Artist
Located in Baldock, GB
Beautiful tile mural with the "AGE OF DISCOVERY SHIP" motif finely painted. Quantity: 272 tiles Tile mural size: 100.3"W X 94.4"H (255cm X 240cm) Tile size: 5.9"W X 5.9"H (15cm X 15...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic, Paint, Clay

Portuguese Hand Painted Tile Mural "Ladies by the Lake" Signed by Artist
Located in Baldock, GB
Beautiful tile mural with the "LADIES BY THE LAKE" motif finely painted. Quantity: 190 tiles Tile mural size: 59"H X 112.1"W (150cm X 285cm) Tile size: 5.9"H X 5.9"W (15cm X 15cm) ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic, Paint, Clay

Hand Tufted Wavy Striped Rainbow Rug
Located in Oaklyn, NJ
Handmade tufted rug in a wavy striped rainbow pattern. 70s inspired psychedelic carpet. I design & hand tuft all of my pieces, it is truly art for your floor. It can also be used as ...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic

Blue and Silver Abstract Print
Located in Countryside, IL
Blue and silver abstract print This print measures: 24 wide x 1 deep x 24 inches high This print is in Great Vintage Condition with minor marks, ...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Metal

"Boston Skyline", Mixed Media on Canvas by Shahen Zarookian
Located in Belmont, MA
Mid-century inspired, contemporary artwork entitled, "Boston Skyline", Mixed Media on Canvas by Shahen Zarookian. Acclaimed American Armenian artist a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas

John Mackay Original Abstract Oil Painting
Located in London, GB
A fantastic and striking original oil on board painting by the renowned artist John Mackay. This is signed and dated from 2012. It is a great size and b...
Category

2010s British Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paint

21st Century Italy Flower Lilac Panel, Ceramica Gatti, Designer A. Anastasio
Located in Faenza, IT
The public buildings, the noble ones but also the more modest residences, have been decorated for centuries with decorative panels cemented on the facades. Bottega Gatti...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic

21st Century Italy, Flowers Purple Panel, Ceramica Gatti, Designer A. Anastasio
Located in Faenza, IT
The public buildings, the noble ones but also the more modest residences, have been decorated for centuries with decorative panels cemented on the facades. Bottega Gatti...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic

"Los Angeles Abstract Skyline", Mixed Media on Canvas by Shahen Zarookian
Located in Belmont, MA
Mid-century inspired, contemporary artwork entitled, "Los Angeles Abstract Skyline", Mixed Media on Canvas by Shahen Zarookian. Acclaimed American Arm...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas

"Harvard Square Newsstand", Mixed Media on Canvas by Shahen Zarookian
Located in Belmont, MA
Mid-century inspired, contemporary artwork entitled, "Harvard Square Newsstand ", Mixed Media on Canvas by Shahen Zarookian. Acclaimed American Armeni...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas

Pair of Sean Scherer Oil and Wax Paintings on Canvas, 1991
Located in Dallas, TX
Sean Scherer (b. 1968): Malady & Diffident Oil and wax on canvas, 1991, signed 's. Scherer', titled and dated on the reverse, with label from Stux Galler...
Category

20th Century North American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

"Erotic Mind III" 2018 Utopian Sculptures Serial Prints by Fernando Crespo #100
Located in Coimbra, PT
F. Crespo author of a world-famous giant sculpture Pope Francis Heart. Makes a first edition of his private and utopian projects. Fernando Crespo is a ...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Other

Handmade Artistic Marble Mosaic Rug Dimension and Colors Customizable
Located in London, GB
Making Artistic Mosaic, design of unparalleled beauty, inventing ' tromp l'oeil' thanks to the endless colors of the glass mosaic collections, all this allowed us to produce and divu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Marble

"Honeymoon" by Frank Struthers 1984 Abstract Modern Shapes Oil Painting
Located in Dayton, OH
"Honeymoon" by Frank Struthers 1984 abstract modern shapes oil painting The perfect addition to any contemporary or modern space. Frank Struthers "Honey...
Category

1980s Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

"Erotic Mind III" 2018 Utopian Sculptures Serial Prints by Fernando Crespo #100
Located in Coimbra, PT
F. Crespo author of a world-famous giant sculpture Pope Francis Heart. Makes a first edition of his private and utopian projects. Fernando Crespo is a recognized artist in Portugal....
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Other

2 Robert Flack Untitled 1992 Fire & Sword Chromogenic Photographs "Love Mind"
Located in Dayton, OH
"Two 1992 chromogenic (c-prints) from Robert Flack’s series “Love Mind,” edition #1/3, feature ""fire circle"" and ""sword circles"". Robert Flack (1957-1993) was born in Guelph, Ontario and moved to Toronto to study at York University. After graduating in 1980 he began working at Art Metropole and as a layout artist on many General Idea-related projects including FILE Megazine. During the 80's he exhibited extensively in Canada at numerous artist-run centres and public galleries, the Cold City Gallery artist collective and the S.L. Simpson Gallery (a complete exhibition history is available on our web site). By 1990 he was exhibiting internationally, in Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam, and was represented in New York at Feature Inc. and in Toronto at Garnet Press. His work was included in the touring group exhibition Corpus Part II curated by Bruce Grenville in 1993 for the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon. A survey exhibition was curated by Nancy Campbell at the MacDonald Stewart Art Centre, with catalogue, in 1993. In 1997 Philip Monk included Flack's work in Rococco Tattoo: The Ornamental Impulse in Toronto Art at the Power Plant in 1997. In 1999 the National Gallery of Canada celebrated Flack's work to commemorate A Day Without Art, December 1999 - January 2000. ""From the beginning, Flack's work expressed an ""otherworldliness"" - a quality that focused sharply with his HIV sero-conversion in 1988. From that point forward, Flack's vision rocketed almost exclusively into the internalized realms of psychic energy, the chakras and the etheric body."" Andrew Zealley, Art Metropole, Halos: David Buchan and Robert Flack 2005. Amongst the work's many distinctions is Flack's use of pre-digital or analogue production techniques. Flack painted in enamel on clear acetate and overlaid his photographs with these painted layers before re-photographing the work, producing an ""iconic, sensual mapping of the body and dazzling use of colour and pattern"" (NGC web site). During this period he was sharing studio space in Toronto with Stephen Andrews...
Category

1990s Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

"Erotic Mind III" 2018 Utopian Sculptures Serial Prints by Fernando Crespo #100
Located in Coimbra, PT
F. Crespo author of a world-famous giant sculpture pope Francis Heart. Makes a first edition of his private and utopian projects. Fernando Crespo is a ...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Other

Benjamin Rankin Modern Painting "The Art of Noises", 2014
Located in Montreal, QC
Modern oil on canvas painting; titled “The Art of Noises” by Benjamin Rankin, a conceptual fine artist; signed on front bottom right; measuring approximate: 80" H x 70" W x 2” D. Gal...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas

Lizz Mixed-Media Acrylic and Collage on Canvas by Ronald Frederick Dockter
Located in Topeka, KS
Dynamic mixed-media, acrylic, and collage on canvas by Ronald Frederick Dockter aka Ron Dockter, titled LIZZ in honor of and depicting Elizabeth Taylor, actress. This framed artwork ...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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Modern contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage contemporary art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, decorative objects, mirrors and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern contemporary art made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Portugal pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original contemporary art, popular names associated with this style include sicis, Louise Heighes, Las Animas, and Sabrina Landini. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for contemporary art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $110 and tops out at $191,803 while the average work can sell for $3,868.

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