Contemporary Mixed Media
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Found Objects
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Clay
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Stainless Steel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Pastel, Pencil, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Resin, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Enamel
Artist Comments
For this modernist representation of spring, artist Brit J Oie took inspiration from the words of Rainer Maria Rilke: "It is Spring ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Thread, Yarn, Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Metal, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Archival Pigment, Canvas
Artist Comments
Lotus flowers float on a pond while koi fish peacefully swim below. A dragonfly flies above, witnessing the tranquil aquatic scene. Artist Yelena Sidorova mad...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Wire
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Pigment
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wax, Watercolor, Etching
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold Leaf, Copper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Tape, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plexiglass, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Panel
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Fabric, Yarn
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Gold, Silver, Foil, Gold Leaf
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
1970s Contemporary Mixed Media
Lithograph, Offset
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paint, Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Screen, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Wax Crayon, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Varnish, Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Spray Paint, Stencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Plexiglass, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Silicone, Wood
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media, Monotype, Yarn, Newsprint
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"Two small figurines sitting together as a couple, waiting in harmony, happiness, and love," says artist Yelitza Diaz. Each Small Being is made of resin and p...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Gouache, Bamboo Paper, Digital
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
Artist Comments
Artist Human Yelitza Diaz demonstrates two figures, one helping the other climb a green wooden structure. She creates the figures with resin and paints their ...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mixed Media
Ink, Archival Paper, Pencil
Early 2000s Contemporary Mixed Media
Paper, Pencil




