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Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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.

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Style: Contemporary
Color:  Purple
"Ref 672", painting by Nicolas Dubreuille, 2023
Located in Paris, France
Nicolas Dubreuille is a multi-faceted abstract artist who likes to multiply mediums - sculpture, painting, drawing, photography - to explore form and colour. His artworks relate to m...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

A bird who critiques from above Left
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Oil pastel on linen
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Raw Linen

Hanging On To The Good Old Times for Too Long, Abstract Painting, Watercolor
Located in Austin, TX
Ryan Thayer Davis is a University of Texas alumni still living and working in Austin, and a pure painter. He approaches his work by creating composit...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Celestial Mirabelle, Original Contemporary Abstract Nautical Mixed Media Work
Located in Boston, MA
Celestial Mirabelle, Original Contemporary Abstract Nautical Mixed Media Work, 2018 11" x 8.5" (HxW) Collage and Pen on Paper With clear inspiration from natural botanicals and oceanic life, artist Jenny Brown combines found imagery and her own mark making to create delicate yet bold designs. This work features an nature-inspired creature taking shape from a combination of colorful paper ephemera on a soft lilac colored piece of paper. Fine white lines and small white dots emerge and scatter around the composition, bringing the work to life. Images with frames are examples only; this work comes unframed. Artist Commentary: A curious bouquet, blossoming in a lavender nebula. This piece was created using antique collage and pen on paper. About the Artist: Jenny Brown is a visual artist living and working in Providence, Rhode Island, whose primary mediums are drawing, collage, and works on paper. Her work brings to life a mythical world of sea creatures and celestial beings, realized through her love of paper ephemera. Jenny studied art at Bennington College and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2005. In addition to working with galleries in New York, Providence, and metro Boston, Jenny has collaborated with brands such as Hudson-Chatham Winery, Sheaffer Pens...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Pen

Light Leak, Contemporary Abstract Painting, Ink on Paper, Small Scale, Minimal
Located in Austin, TX
ANYA MOLYVIATIS (b.1994) sculpts visual and tactile landscapes by unifying her love for fibers and design. With color gradients, weaving structures, and materiality, she shapes space...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Distance, Contemporary Abstract Painting, Ink on Paper, Small Scale, Minimalist
Located in Austin, TX
ANYA MOLYVIATIS (b.1994) sculpts visual and tactile landscapes by unifying her love for fibers and design. With color gradients, weaving structures, and materiality, she shapes space...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

'Blood in the Veins'. Cherry blossom pink white blue magenta abstract sakura
Located in Penzance, GB
'Blood in the Veins' Original Artwork, Unframed. _____________________ Capturing the flush of fleeting youth, the cherry blossoms blush crimson as the sap pulses through branches, b...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gold Leaf

Replay 3
Located in Bloomington, IL
"Replay 3" is a unique hand-painted monoprint. The artist's ink drawing made on translucent film was etched into a copper plate using the technique of photogravure. The plate became ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic, Photogravure

'Paradise Remembered'. Botanical environmental tropical painting
Located in Penzance, GB
SOPHIA MILLIGAN 'Paradise, Remembered' Original Artwork ___________________ Late August sun breaks joyously through the low morning cloud, an easterly breeze rustling through the st...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Photogram

Mooncatcher
Located in Deddington, GB
Mooncatcher by Rebecca Denton [2018] limited_edition Etching and aquatint Edition number /40 Image size: H:20.5 cm x W:20.5 cm Complete Size of Unframe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Color Pencil, Paper

Ode to Bob Lazar, 2020, gel pen, green, drawing, pink, ufo, science fiction, eye
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Ode to Bob Lazar, 2020, gel pen ,ink and graphite on paper, green, abstract, drawing, pink, pattern, blue, yellow, black, ufo, science fiction, alien, yin ya...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pen, Ink, Graphite

Käepigistus Delf 7, Handshake Series
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Watercolor & Graphite on Canvas
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Watercolor, Graphite

Tutti al mare - Mixed Media Drawing by Maurizio Gracceva - 2008
Located in Roma, IT
Tutti al mare is a beautiful artwork realized by Maurizio Gracceva in the 2008. Mixed media on paper: ink, spray and watercolor. Hand signed by the artist. Author of numerous phi...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mixed Media

"ROAD TO PARADISE", egg tempera, trees, fruit, blossoms, geometry, flora pattern
Located in Toronto, Ontario
ROAD TO PARADISE is an egg tempera on Ampersand panel by Fleur Thesmar. The artwork measures 24x18x1" and is unvarnished (as many artists prefer). Against a grid of gentle reds, yellows and cream...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Egg Tempera, Panel

Friend Ship Carry Me - Contemporary Conceptual Abstraction on Paper, Purple
Located in Gilroy, CA
"Friend Ship Carry Me" is a text-based conceptual contemporary work by artist Vivian Liddell. This piece has intricate deliberate details scattered throughout. Liddell often walks th...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Spray Paint, Monotype

Colophon 13
Located in New York, NY
Watercolor and gouache on paper Signed, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Willy Bo Richardson received an MFA in painting from Pratt Institute in...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Paper

Untitled (magenta and orange)
Located in New Orleans, LA
ANASTASIA PELIAS was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her native and ancestral roots in New Orleans, LA...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Crayon

"Baghdad Rain, " Oil Pastel on Illustration Board signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Baghdad Rain" is an original oil pastel drawing on illustration board by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece on the back. It depicts some abstracted figures in a dream-like...
Category

1990s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Illustration Board

Bla Bla Bla - Original Digital Photograph and Drawing on Plastic - 2011
Located in Roma, IT
Bla Bla Bla is an original artwork realized by the Italian artist Nicolantonio Mucciaccia in 2011. Drawing and digital photograph on plastic support. Frame...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Plastic

What is an Alien? - Original Digital Photograph and Drawing on Plastic - 2011
Located in Roma, IT
What is an Alien? is an original artwork realized by the Italian contemporary artist Nicolantonio Mucciaccia in 2011. Mixed media on plastic and rubber. Frame included. Perfect condi...
Category

2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Plastic, Rubber

Escape Into Violet Gray
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Acrylic on panel
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic

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"As Water Is To Stone" Contemporary Abstract Framed Acrylic on Canvas Painting
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"As Water Is To Stone" is a framed acrylic work on canvas by Charlie Bluett with abstract asymmetric forms in frosty shades of blue and gray. The ethere...
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2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Lake Tahoe Panorama, Nautical Landscape Cyanotype in Blue, Minimal Water Art
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This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Lake Tahoe Panorama" shows a sequence of abstracted ripples of the calm Tahoe waters. Details: + Title: Lake Tahoe Panor...
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2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Double Suns (2021), surreal mountain landscape painting, orange, blue, yellow
Located in Jersey City, NJ
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Pop Flower 90, Mandala in Cobalt Blue with Orange, Green, Pink, Brown
Located in Kent, CT
This multicolored drawing has a beautiful, soft mottled texture created with Judge's unique powered pigment technique. Pop Flower 90 is a predominately cobalt blue mandala shape with...
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Red Web, 2020, gel pen, red, spider, drawing, black, skull, web, white
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Red Web, 2020, gel pen, red, spider, drawing, black, skull, web, white
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2010s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

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Paper, Pen

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Contemporary abstract drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary abstract drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including David Barnett, Renato Garza Cervera, Michael Alan, and Reginald K. Gee. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary abstract drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 2.96 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $60 and tops out at $190,000, while the average work sells for $1,402.

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