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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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Period: 21st Century and Contemporary
Monumental LED Shadowbox Art Diorama with Taxidermy Horseshoe Crabs, In Stock
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Drones, 2022, is a techno-futuristic riff on the traditional Victorian shadowbox containing horseshoe crab carapaces collected by hand on a visit t...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Grape Hyacinth, a Piece of 3D Sculptural Cream Leather Wall Art
Located in Margate, GB
Grape Hyacinth: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of cream leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measurements are 17 x 17 inches or 43 x 43 cm...
Category

2010s European Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Leather

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Oxy Oyster Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Oxy oyster minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Unique Piece Dimensions: diameter 110 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, metal and epoxy The power of change is Corin...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Metal, Brass

Resin Art Round Panel
Located in Westport, CT
Resin art panel colored with pigments and ink multi-layered process which result in an organic expression of shapes. The outcome is always unsuspected. Each piece is unique and canno...
Category

2010s Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Resin

Painting Orange Yellow Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood
Located in Seville, ES
ATLAS 06 "Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both and t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Painting Blue Color Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood
Located in Seville, ES
"ATLAS 07" "Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

OTR Plate 003 Swaying in Developer Chemicals Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into image. 16 plates traveled through Europe as part of a book tour. We are offering them in a limited edition printed on Aluminum in large format. This one is called Swaying In Developer Chemicals showing an overlay of all the design proposals for St. Peters Cathedral. Each plate is related to a scene and some lines from the book. Plate 003: SWAYING IN DEVELOPER CHEMICALS "At the end of the ambulatory, his vision is an unfinished photograph swaying in developer chemicals, still blurry and out of focus...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

OTR Plate 004 Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into ima...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Painting Black Grey Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood
Located in Seville, ES
ATLAS 03 "Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both and t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Emilio Perez Triptych of Three Lithographs, 2017
By Emilio Perez
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Emilio Perez Triptych of three lithographs 2017. After Genji 2017 Measures: 70 x 300 cm Edition 16.
Category

2010s Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Painting Blue White Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood
Located in Seville, ES
ATLAS 05 "Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both and t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Painting Green Pink Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood
Located in Seville, ES
ATLAS 04 "Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both and t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

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

OTR Plate 007 Fluorescent Epileptic Rays Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into ima...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Gaia's Iris Concept Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Gaia's Iris concept minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 150 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, epoxy and acrylics Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Luis Vidal Collage "Paper Rabbit", circa 2009, Spain
Located in Girona, Spain
Luis Vidal Collage. Very decorative. Unique Piece. Circa 2022, Spain. Very good condition. Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformati...
Category

Early 2000s Spanish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

Don Williams Abstract Painting “Composition in Blue & Gold” 2022
Located in Oakland, CA
Don "Ace" Williams (Born 1941) is an active painter currently living in Sonoma, California. Williams is known for amazing photo realist landscapes, still life paintings, and suffused...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic

OTR Plate 015 Symmetry Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into image. 16 plates...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Ash Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Ash minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 130 cm Materials: Brass, Wood, Ash, Epoxy and Acrylics ‘Ash’ symbolizes the outcome, almost like a relic of the intense passion that came before. This is never the end, as from ash comes new life. Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

OTR Plate 011 the Sandy Wind Licks His Eyes French Inhale Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This plate comes from the book On the Rock published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of figure ground on how to interrogate text into ima...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

OTR Plate 008 A Fecund Moment Printed On Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into image. 16 plates traveled through Europe as part of a book tour. We are offering them in a limited edition printed on Aluminum in large format. This one is called A Fecund Moment showing the tie of Marcus Garvey...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Two Kinds of People Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Two kinds of people minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 50 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, epoxy and acrylics There are two kinds of people. Those that see the night coming and those that see the day arriving. Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Resin Art Round Panel 47"
Located in Westport, CT
Resin art panel colored with pigments and ink multi-layered process which result in an organic expression of shapes. The outcome is always unsuspected. Each piece is unique and cann...
Category

2010s Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Resin

Graham Nash Signed Silver Gelatin Photograph Print "Why?", 2003
Located in Studio City, CA
An engaging photographic image by famed British musician and photographer Graham Nash (from the folk-rock supergroups Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young). Nash's ...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

OTR Plate 014 Maelstrom Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into image. 16 plates...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Two Kinds Of People Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Two Kinds Of People Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 130 cm Materials: Brass, Wood, Natural pigments, Epoxy and Acrylics There are two kinds of people. Those that see the night coming and those that see the day arriving. Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Blush Minimalist Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Blush minimalist round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 140 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, epoxy and acrylics Love, Anger, Shame, Frustration, Passion. It comes and it goes. Think about it. Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Richard Hirsch Encaustic Painting of Nothing #60, 2020
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary American ceramic artist Richard Hirsch's encaustic Painting of Nothing #60 is made of ceramic raw materials, dry pigment and wax. This piece is part of his ongoing Paint...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Clay, Organic Material

Ash Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Ash minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 70 cm Materials: Brass, wood, ash, epoxy and acrylics ‘Ash’ symbolizes the outcome, almost like a relic of the intense passion that came before. This is never the end, as from ash comes new life. Available sizes: 70, 90, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 180cm Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Ash Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Ash minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 180 cm Materials: Brass, wood, ash, epoxy and acrylics ‘Ash’ symbolizes the outcome, almost like a relic of the intense passion that came before. This is never the end, as from ash comes new life. Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

"Concept, " a Large Multi-Colored Abstract Painting by Kathi Robinson Frank
Located in New York, NY
"Concept," 2022 is a large abstract acrylic, oil featuring deep violets, yellow ochres, and metallic gold on a white ground tinged with pale blue. In addition, the artist incorporated touches of orange, forest green and maroon together with web-like ink drawn forms to achieve light and dark and depth. New York City born Kathi Robinson Frank...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Paint

OTR Plate 006 Floats Like An Obelisk Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into image. 16 plates...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Hard Around the Edges Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Hard around the edges minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 70 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, epoxy, acrylics You can still embrace me, I am ...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Two Kinds of People Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Two kinds of people minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 180 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, epoxy and acrylics There are two kinds of people. Those that see the night coming and those that see the day arriving. Corine van Voorbergen...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Framed Photography Paolo Ventrua
Located in Atlanta, GA
A framed photograph by Italian artist Paolo Ventura (b. 1968), No 59 from the series Winter Stories and created in 2009. The current digital chromogenic print on offer is presented f...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

Swoon "Mrs Bennet" Wheatpaste on Found Object
By Swoon
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Well-known for her role in the "Street Art" scene, Caledonia Curry AKA Swoon's work can be found throughout the streets of the world as well as in the carefully curated collections...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

OTR Plate 010 French Inhale Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into ima...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Hard Around the Edges Minimalistic Round by Corine Vanvoorbergen
Located in Geneve, CH
Hard around the edges minimalistic round by Corine Vanvoorbergen Dimensions: diameter 150 cm Materials: Brass, wood, natural pigments, epoxy, acrylics You can still embrace me, ...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Brass

OTR Plate 009 Weapons Deep in the Vaccum Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This plate comes from the book on the rock published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into ima...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

OTR Plate 002 Grey Targets Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into ima...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

OTR Plate 001 Classic Black Printed on Aluminum
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Plate comes from the book On The Rock Published by Montez press in 2016. The plates are a collaboration between the founders of Figure Ground on how to interrogate text into image. 16 plates traveled through Europe as part of a book tour. We are offering them in a limited edition printed on Aluminum in large format. This one is called Classic Black showing a collage of the interior of the Seagram's build in the perspective style of Mies Van Der Rohe. Each plate is related to a scene and some lines from the book. Plate 001: CLASSIC BLACK "The floor is smooth as a Japanese sharpening rock, a composite of volcanic ash...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Aluminum

Zen - Acrylic silkscreen ink on canvas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Multidisciplinary artist, designer, photographer, and founder of her eponymous brand of wallpapers, tiles, and home textiles, Aimée Wilder presents Shadow Wildling, a new series of large-format silkscreened paintings. This debut fine art edition draws inspiration from Aimée’s textile design background to explore tessellation, positive/negative space, mathematics, fractal dragon curves, and nuanced color relationships.  These new paintings, however, reverse the usual role of patterned designs within interior spaces. Rather than an all-over application of patterned wallpaper...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Lisbon Blue & White Tiles Wall Art, Gold Leaf, Handmade Portugal Lusitanus Home
Located in Lisboa, PT
Alfama Wall Art, Lusitanus Home Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Lusitanus Home. Alfama wall art has an exclusive hand-painted design by Greenapple, inspired by the P...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Glass, Mirror, Wood

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Framed Oil Painting on Board by Sara Skaaning
Located in New York, NY
Oil painting on board by Sara Skaaning. Based in the Island Mon, Denmark, the visual artist Sara Skaaning starts from her surroundings that twists and transforms until completely di...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paint

Handwoven Telephone Wire Accent, Olivine
Located in Jersey City, NJ
It is said that this stunning art form started with the African night shift security workers being bored on duty. They brought these weaving skills back to their villages and shared them with their wives, who have mastered them into today's sought-after pieces. The weavers behind these objects started by applying traditional skills in creating baskets for household usage. Time has passed, and remarkable innovative methods were applied, giving the lampshades a contemporary edge. Today, these beautiful telephone...
Category

2010s South African Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wire

Huai-Qing Wang "Another Space" Etching, 2002
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Etching made by Huai-Qing Wang in China Etching Another space 2002 Measures: 97.5 x 68.5 cm Edition 50.
Category

Early 2000s Chinese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Contemporary Modern Black Abstract Painting on Canvas in a Old Frame
Located in Berlin, DE
This black painting has heavily textured acrylics on canvas. The artist created the piece using multiple techniques like palet knife, brush and chalk. It is in an old 19th century pi...
Category

2010s German Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic

Helen Allois Signed Original Oil on Canvas Painting Disappearances 8, 2015
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful original oil on canvas painting by German-born American artist Helen Allois (who artistically simply goes by Allois). This work titled "Disapp...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Contemporary Art Harm De Veer Abstract Wood Sculpture Just Hanging There 1 Grey
Located in Vinkel, NL
"Just Hanging There (1)" is an abstract object from the "Just Hanging There" collection and was designed according to the vision of Dutch designer Harm de Veer. From a production pro...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Scrap Wood, Paint

Heart Shaped "Red Love Arrow", 2022, Handmade in Italy, Anatomical Heart
Located in San Miniato PI, IT
Celebrating the human body by dissecting it. The human body as a great system of signs and symbols. We are expression, beyond words and gestures. A perspective of the flesh in wh...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic

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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