Figuration libre

200,000 - The number of contemporary artworks currently available on Artsper. Every day, new Parisian, European and international art galleries join us and trust us to promote their artists (painters, illustrators, sculptors and art photographers.)

We use the term ‘contemporary art’ to identify all works created in recent times, between the end of the 20th and the start of the 21st centuries. However, there is no single type of contemporary art and it can cover just as many forms as there are artists. Although contemporary art takes individualities and cultural exceptions into account, it is inspired by a global context and a globalised society which is forever changing. The materials used, the creative processes and the chosen themes often refer to this interconnection and constantly question the established artistic order.

Although they are often confused, there are many differences between modern and contemporary art. In particular, contemporary art, which tends to be more conceptual, favours the creative idea behind the work more than the actual artwork created.

However the distinction between the two trends can be interpreted as purely time-related and any piece of work created after 1945 can be called ‘contemporary’. Pop Art is one of the first artistic movements to emerge from contemporary art. It appeared at a time when an entire generation was caught up in the whirlwind of consumer society. Pop Art used the latest technology available and intense colours to reflect (sometimes ironically) the changing globalised world. Key artists include Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol whose modern paintings depict the icons of the time, such as Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor.

Inspired by the revolutionary thinking of the great Surrealist masters (Dali or Magritte), Cubists (Picasso) and Dadaists (Marcel Duchamp), artists of the 1950s and 60s took their ideas about art even further. Minimalism and Conceptual Art was born. Minimalism and conceptualism were set in contrast to the the abstract expressionist artists such as Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, and the movements were pioneered by artists such as Franck Stella, Sol Lewitt, Lawrence Weiner many of whom created pared down, minimal sculptures…

Born in the 1960s in Philadelphia, street art has been popular since the 80s and is now exhibited in art museums, galleries and private collections. Paintings, stencils, collages, unusual supports, tags...Certain gallery owners offer original works from the movement’s biggest names, such as prints by Shepard Fairey (Obey), Banksy, photographs by JR or graffiti paintings by Jef Aérosol. In our catalogue you can also find works by artists from the emerging art scene who work in the same style: JonOne, Blek Le Rat, Miss Tic, Death NYC....

Despite all these changes that have taken place, artists continue to work with more traditional genres including landscape and portrait, although of course, the way they approach these subjects is very different today. Many artworks combine several techniques and mediums. A drawing, for example might use collage, watercolour and touches of acrylic. Artists today are faced with almost limitless possibilities.

Sculptors and other artists who played an important part in the late 20th century art scene are also present on Artsper. Specialising in big or small formats, using wood, bronze or steel you’ll find a variety of works. Discover the famous highly-coloured figurative creations by Niki de Saint Phalle, Takashi Murakami’s kawai inspired art, and even Jeff Koons, also known as the most expensive living contemporary artist in the world.