Appropriation
A practice central to the world of contemporary art during the 1980s, appropriation refers to the borrowing of familiar objects and images, and applying them to new and unconventional artistic contexts. The rise of consumerism and mass media broadcasting during these years allowed artists to make use of recognisable images from popular culture in their work. The technique has been rendered across several iconic movements such as Dadaism, Surrealism, and Pop Art.
Appropriation has been specifically attributed to certain contemporary artists, and some of their works have become globally recognized for their unorthodox and juxtaposing style. From Salvador Dalí's Lobster Telephone, to Andy Warhol's iconic pop art collages to Marcel Duchamp's “readymade" working of a men's urinal, the use of appropriation can certainly be recognized across a variety of contemporary movements.
Today, appropriation remains a popular tool in the contemporary world, and we have curated a selection of artists whose work echoes this striking and innovative practice. Some of our favorites include Annick B. Cuadrado, Jeff Koons and Bertrand Lavier. If you're searching for works which surprise and delight, check out our top picks!
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Venus à la giraffe
Salvador Dali
Sculpture - 56.5 x 9.5 x 27.5 cm Sculpture - 22.2 x 3.7 x 10.8 inch
$8,304
Pantocrator - Christ In His Majesty (Tarot 3 of Coins)
Salvador Dali
Print - 75.9 x 54.3 x 0.3 cm Print - 29.875 x 21.375 x 0.1 inch
$3,000
Homage to Newton (bronze sculpture)
Salvador Dali
Sculpture - 37.1 x 16 x 7.1 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 6.3 x 2.8 inch
$14,625
Le chevalier Chretien, from the series Les Chevaux Daliniens
Salvador Dali
Print - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$7,687
Hemerocallis thumbergii elephanter from Surrealistic Flowers
Salvador Dali
Print - 75 x 56 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.5 x 22 x 0 inch
$9,325
L'Ange de l'Alchimie (The Angel of Alchemy)
Salvador Dali
Print - 77 x 56 x 0.1 cm Print - 30.3 x 22 x 0 inch
$8,613
The Lady Dulcinea from Historia de Don Quichote de la Mancha
Salvador Dali
Print - 76.2 x 55.9 cm Print - 30 x 22 inch
$3,500
Carmen and Don José fleeing on horseback from The Opera Carmen
Salvador Dali
Print - 65 x 50 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 inch
$4,579
Dan, from the series Twelve Tribes of Israel
Salvador Dali
Print - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$4,128
Le caducee de Mars alimente par la boule de feu de Jupiter from La conquête du cosmos
Salvador Dali
Print - 99.5 x 69.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 39.2 x 27.4 x 0 inch
$5,054
Autumn from the suite “The Seasons”
Salvador Dali
Print - 56 x 76 x 0.1 cm Print - 22 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$4,615
King Richard from Ivanhoe Suite
Salvador Dali
Print - 75 x 54 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.5 x 21.3 x 0 inch
$4,698
Rembrandt - Portrait du peintre par lui-même
Salvador Dali
Print - 84 x 63 x 0.1 cm Print - 33.1 x 24.8 x 0 inch
$4,722
Eternal Circumcision from Aliyah Series
Salvador Dali
Print - 62.2 x 48.3 x 0.5 cm Print - 24.5 x 19 x 0.2 inch
$2,500
Les montres molles demi sommeil
Salvador Dali
Print - 55.9 x 73.7 x 0.5 cm Print - 22 x 29 x 0.2 inch
$2,500
Les spoutniks astiques elasticots statistiques
Salvador Dali
Print - 55.9 x 73.7 x 0.5 cm Print - 22 x 29 x 0.2 inch
$2,500
Les Entre-plats Sodamises
Salvador Dali
Print - 55.9 x 73.7 x 0.5 cm Print - 22 x 29 x 0.2 inch
$2,500
Les caprices pinces princiers
Salvador Dali
Print - 55.9 x 73.7 x 0.5 cm Print - 22 x 29 x 0.2 inch
$2,500
Les Panaches Panaches from Les Diners de Gala, Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dali
Print - 55.9 x 74.9 x 0.5 cm Print - 22 x 29.5 x 0.2 inch
$2,500
Le Cercle viscéral du cosmos
Salvador Dali
Print - 100 x 70 x 0.1 cm Print - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$5,908
Le Crane, from Anamorphoses
Salvador Dali
Print - 76 x 56 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch
$4,341
Les Songes Drolatiques de Pantagruel
Salvador Dali
Print - 85.09 x 81.28 x 2 cm Print - 33.5 x 32 x 0.8 inch
$5,000
Raphael - Le Mariage de la Vierge
Salvador Dali
Print - 89 x 63 x 0.1 cm Print - 35 x 24.8 x 0 inch
$4,722
Velasquez The Surrender Of Breda
Salvador Dali
Print - 73 x 76 x 0.1 cm Print - 28.7 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$4,722
Flordali - Les Fruits : Révérence du groseiller
Salvador Dali
Print - 56.5 x 37 cm Print - 22.2 x 14.6 inch
$5,220
Terpsichore, from Les Muses
Salvador Dali
Print - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$6,501
Révérence du groseillier from Flor Dali/Les fruits
Salvador Dali
Print - 75 x 53 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.5 x 20.9 x 0 inch
$9,325
Spectacles with Holograms and Computers
Salvador Dali
Print - 77 x 55.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 30.3 x 21.9 x 0 inch
$6,940
Return of Ulysses from Homage a Homere
Salvador Dali
Print - 76.2 x 55.9 x 0.5 cm Print - 30 x 22 x 0.2 inch
$4,500
Les songes drolatiques de Pantagruel bleu
Salvador Dali
Print - 76 x 53.5 cm Print - 29.9 x 21.1 inch
$5,813
Flordali - Les Fruits : Poire Don Quichotte
Salvador Dali
Print - 56.5 x 37 cm Print - 22.2 x 14.6 inch
$5,339
Don quichotte, from the series Les Chevaux Daliniens
Salvador Dali
Print - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$6,952
Neptune, from the series Les Chevaux Daliniens
Salvador Dali
Print - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$7,687
The Mythology Argus Color
Salvador Dali
Print - 57.15 x 76.2 x 2.54 cm Print - 22.5 x 30 x 1 inch
$85,000
Tauramachie Surrealiste The Giraffe on Fire
Salvador Dali
Print - 50.8 x 66.04 x 2.54 cm Print - 20 x 26 x 1 inch
$29,500
Autumn from Four Seasons
Salvador Dali
Print - 53.5 x 67.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 21.1 x 26.6 x 0 inch
$6,738
Le Yin et le Yang (Yin and Yan)
Salvador Dali
Print - 77 x 56 x 0.1 cm Print - 30.3 x 22 x 0 inch
$9,799
Mystery of Sleep (The Hermit) from Visions Surrealiste
Salvador Dali
Print - 73.7 x 53.3 x 0.3 cm Print - 29 x 21 x 0.1 inch
$9,500
Jeremiah from Our Historical Heritage
Salvador Dali
Print - 66 x 50.5 x 5.1 cm Print - 26 x 19.88 x 2 inch
$4,500
Don Quichotte et Les Moulins a Vent
Salvador Dali
Print - 39.5 x 29.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 15.6 x 11.6 x 0 inch
$8,399
Athene from the series "Mythologie"
Salvador Dali
Print - 75 x 57 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.5 x 22.4 x 0 inch
$6,952
Flordali - Les Fruits : Pomme dragon
Salvador Dali
Print - 56.5 x 37 cm Print - 22.2 x 14.6 inch
$8,067
King David, Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dali
Print - 66 x 50.3 x 0.5 cm Print - 26 x 19.8 x 0.2 inch
$4,500
Le Roi Marc from Tristan et Iseult, Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dali
Print - 45.1 x 33 x 5.1 cm Print - 17.75 x 13 x 2 inch
$4,000
Le Combat avec Morhoult from Tristan et Iseult, Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dali
Print - 45.1 x 33 x 5.1 cm Print - 17.75 x 13 x 2 inch
$4,000
The Golden Helmet of Mandrino from Historia de Don Quichote de la Mancha
Salvador Dali
Print - 76.2 x 55.9 x 0.5 cm Print - 30 x 22 x 0.2 inch
$3,500
Le Chimere d'Horace from Dalinean Horses
Salvador Dali
Print - 67.9 x 50.2 x 0.5 cm Print - 26.75 x 19.75 x 0.2 inch
$3,000
Le Legacy from Historia de Don Quichotte de la Mancha
Salvador Dali
Print - 75.9 x 56.2 cm Print - 29.88 x 22.13 inch
$3,000
Flordali - Les Fruits : Fruits troués
Salvador Dali
Print - 56.5 x 37 cm Print - 22.2 x 14.6 inch
$5,339
Tristan und Isolde (Set of 21 Prints, framed)
Salvador Dali
Print - 45 x 32.3 x 2 cm Print - 17.7 x 12.7 x 0.8 inch
$23,489
Balloon Dog (Blue)
Jeff Koons
Sculpture - 40 x 48 x 15.8 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 18.9 x 6.2 inch
$67,500
Ballon Monkey Orange
Jeff Koons
Sculpture - 25 x 21 x 39 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 8.3 x 15.4 inch
$26,693
Ballon Venus (Dom Pérignon)
Jeff Koons
Sculpture - 61.5 x 35.5 x 32.5 cm Sculpture - 24.2 x 14 x 12.8 inch
$53,385
Eléphant de Triomphe
Salvador Dali
Sculpture - 53 x 25 x 14.5 cm Sculpture - 20.9 x 9.8 x 5.7 inch
$59,222
Diamond ( Red )
Jeff Koons
Sculpture - 32.4 x 39.2 x 32 cm Sculpture - 12.8 x 15.4 x 12.6 inch
$26,099
Ballon Animals
Jeff Koons
Sculpture - 39.2 x 34.9 x 20.9 cm Sculpture - 15.4 x 13.7 x 8.2 inch
$41,522
Balloon Dog (Magenta)
Jeff Koons
Design - 26.7 x 26.7 x 12.7 cm Design - 10.5 x 10.5 x 5 inch
$11,863
L'Art d'aimer d'Ovide, La Déesse de Cythère
Salvador Dali
Print - 76 x 54 cm Print - 29.9 x 21.3 inch
$4,152
L'ange triomphant
Salvador Dali
Sculpture - 50 x 18 x 17 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 7.1 x 6.7 inch
$42,566
Balloon Dog (Orange)
Jeff Koons
Design - 26.7 x 26.7 x 12.7 cm Design - 10.5 x 10.5 x 5 inch
$11,863
L'Art d'aimer d'Ovide, Fille de Minos
Salvador Dali
Print - 76 x 54 cm Print - 29.9 x 21.3 inch
$4,152