Contemporary Paintings
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.
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Encaustic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Gesso, Paper, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Linen
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Silver, Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel, Encaustic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Metal, Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A single hummingbird hovers gracefully beside vivid red blooms, captured in a quiet moment of stillness and beauty. The soft beige arch draws the eye inward, of...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A herd of bison descends into a ravine, moving through a misty landscape. These majestic animals symbolize strength, power, and resilience as ethereal light s...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, India Ink
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Wood Panel, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Linen, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Masonite, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Masonite, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1980s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Mylar, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Linen, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Chalk, Conté, Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Mixed Media, Panel, Wood Panel, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Paper, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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