Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor 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.
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Lithograph
Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Mixed Media
1950s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pen
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Laid Paper
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pastel
Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper, Graphite
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Board, Acrylic
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Pencil
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gouache
20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pastel, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Illustration Board, Pencil
20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Crayon
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Tempera, Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Pastel, Ink
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper, Pastel
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Ink
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pen
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Pencil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Cotton, Ink, Archival Paper
1950s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil, Pastel
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A purple iris blooms against an expressive blue and orange background. Its soft green leaves create contrast against the surrounding, dynamic colors. Artist Jay...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
Artist Comments
Hibiscus flowers burst with life and energy. A deep purple background heightens the brilliance of red petals and green leaves. Inspired by Joseph Raffael’s je...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal, Archival Paper





