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An abstract painter inspired by Product Design, Graphic Design and Architecture, David E. Peterson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1979. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States, Argentina, Europe and Asia. Peterson’s work is included in the collections of the Museum of New Art (Detroit), Progressive Art Collection, Bilzin and Sumberg, Home Depot, Related Group, among many others. His work has been profiled on Forbes, Loft Magazine, Southern Living, CNN and Detroit Free Press. He holds a BFA from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. He was named "One of the Top 20 Professionals Under 40" in Miami's Brickell Magazine. His installation JCrew Women's Tops Bottoms was also featured in New York Magazine, Design (Spring 2013). Peterson was featured in “New American Paintings”, Issue 112”, which was curated by Rene Morales of the Perez Museum (summer, 2014). " Industrial Design informs my work. Inspiration might come from a brightly-colored sneaker, an eye-catching dress, an intricate watch or a well-arranged print ad. Once my interest is captured, I immediately begin translating the design into my work. I begin the process by systematically identifying the most important elements of industrial design. I am looking at color, line, shape, scale and finish. These key traits are broken down, then reconstructed as the foundation for my composition in Photoshop. This computer rendering becomes my mock-up and I refer to it as I build my panel, paint it and apply the finish. My studio becomes an artist’s assembly line; the result is a precise Art Object. I find this order by reducing the elements in the system that contrasts a state of entropy with a predetermined structural order that is based on the principles of design and architecture. The pieces are acrylic paint, MDF, and exotic wood in layers of resin. The resin creates depth and enables the piece to be viewed on multiple levels." Peterson’s work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of New Art in Detroit, as well as many other notable public and private art collections.

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.

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Mixed media is a type of art that sees artists using a range of materials or more than one medium. Find a range of mixed media paintings and other artworks for your space today on 1stDibs.

Mixed media is distinct from multimedia, which describes art involving electronic media, including video, computers and digital elements. Artists combine painting, drawing, photography and sculpture for mixed media art. Instead of sticking to one form, they aim to break boundaries and create unique pieces. Pop art is one of the vibrant periods for mixed media art, with Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg among its most fabled producers. Rauschenberg, like many mixed media artists, used found objects in his work, from cast-off furniture to newspapers.

Collage is one of the most well-known areas of mixed media. Artists use various types of paper, fabric, photographs and more to create one cohesive work. A type of collage is assemblage, which involves 3D objects.

While artists may use fabric in collage, it can be the very substance of the art itself. Fabric art makes extensive use of texture. Artists may paint or embroider on fabric to create layers of texture and color to evoke a specific feeling. They can also transfer photos onto fabric for innovative ways to display visuals.

Resin-based art has clean, sharp lines and a definitive shape. Resin is a liquid that hardens to a high-gloss surface and is used to seal wood, counters and floors. Resin can also seal artwork, and many artists tint it using pigment powder, ink, spray paint and other vivid materials. If water is added, the resin will turn milky instead of being completely transparent. It’s common for artists working in mixed media to use resin on nontraditional surfaces like glass, wood, metal and stone. This creates a shine that’s perfect to brighten a dull space in the home or office.

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