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.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
Artist Comments
A young boy lies sprawled on a couch, fully absorbed in a comic book. His relaxed pose conveys a sense of calm and quiet. The scene captures the simple pleasure...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Mary Pratt grows pots of turmeric plants around her house, which sprout new shoots weekly and last throughout the summer. She visits the flowers in the...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Cardboard
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Wood, Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paint, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
1970s Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Acrylic, Vinyl
Artist Comments
A stylized portrait depicts a girl using bold blocks of color. Her face appears simplified and almost sculptural, rendered in muted tones of beige, grey, and pi...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Fabric, Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Handmade Paper
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A two-story red barn and a small shed sit quietly on the land. Sunlight washes over the landscape while a shadowed path leads through the scene. Autumn trees pr...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Board, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Tissue Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Wax, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Paintings
Charcoal, Acrylic, Canvas, Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Paintings
Oil, Panel
Contemporary paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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