Contemporary artist: how to recognise the style and bring it into your home
7 min read · by Walensky
ABSTRACT CONTEMPORARY PAINTING ARTWORKS
A white wall, a living room lacking character, and that vague urge to put up "something contemporary" without really knowing what that means. The word is everywhere, from the local gallery to Pinterest boards, and ends up meaning very little. Yet behind this label lie very identifiable visual codes that anyone can learn to spot and use at home.
The direct answerA contemporary artist is, by academic definition, a creator active from the 1960s-1970s to today, whose work breaks with classical figurative codes: abstraction, raw material, collage, use of digital media or light. For decoration, the essential point is not to know names, but to recognise these visual codes and choose a work that clearly embodies them, without falling into a piece too timid or too loud for the space.- Contemporary art covers the period from the 1960s to today, marked by a break with traditional figuration.
- The dominant visual codes: abstraction, texture, neon colours, collage and mixed media, influence of digital art.
- For decor, it is better to choose one strong, well-proportioned piece than an accumulation of contradictory works.
What really defines a contemporary artist today
The term does not designate a style but a period and a stance. We speak of contemporary art from the 1960s-1970s onward, when artists began to question the very nature of the artwork rather than simply represent reality.
This is where the real difference from modern art lies, which roughly covers the period from Impressionism to the 1950s (Monet, Picasso, Matisse). Modern art already sought to break with academicism, but often remained tied to painting as its sole medium. Contemporary art, by contrast, explores everything: installation, performance, video, conceptual art, street art, and more recently digital art.
For mural decoration, this openness is good news. It means there is a rich, varied visual vocabulary to draw on, depending on the atmosphere you want — from a minimalist living room to an office that needs a boost of energy.
Recognising a contemporary style does not require a degree in art history: just a trained eye able to spot a few recurring visual signatures.
The visual codes that reveal a contemporary work
A contemporary work is often recognised before you even know who made it, through three families of clearly identifiable visual signs.
Abstraction and texture
Abstraction remains the most widespread language: free forms, colours that aim not to represent but to express a sensation. This principle can be seen in a painting such as Flux Aurifère, where sinuous lines and golden tones create a mysterious atmosphere, closer to emotion than to description.
Neon colours and digital influence
Neon art and the influence of digital art have deeply shaped contemporary aesthetics since the 2000s. Electric palettes, fluorescent gradients, frozen motion — this visual vocabulary comes as much from screens as from galleries.
Collage and mixed media
Collage and mixed media techniques layer materials, textures and sometimes contradictory visual references. It is an aesthetic that enjoys friction, controlled accident and assembly rather than smooth composition.
A contemporary-inspired painting never reproduces a museum work exactly: it draws on it, takes up its spirit and visual codes, without being a faithful copy.
How to bring the spirit of a contemporary artist into your decor
The living room is often the ideal setting for a striking abstract piece, especially above a neutral sofa. The swirling waves of Golden Crests work particularly well in this context: they bring movement without visually overloading the space.
In an office, the neon-futuristic register makes perfect sense: it stimulates without lulling. Neon Pulsations of the Invisible, with its shades of pink and electric blue, creates an energy that contrasts with the often sober furniture of such a space.
In an entrance hall, choose a format that catches the eye from the first steps, without demanding prolonged contemplation. This is where a piece in a geometric or colourful register, like those in the Contemporary Abstract Painting range, makes an immediate impact. To explore this register more broadly, a selection of abstract artistic paintings a selection of abstract artistic paintings gives a good overview of the possible variations in palette and composition.
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Mistakes to avoid when choosing a work inspired by contemporary art
The first and most common mistake is choosing a format that is too small for the intended wall. A contemporary work, often built on flat areas and strong contrasts, loses all its impact when it is lost in a large empty space.
- Check the width of the wall or piece of furniture before choosing the format (L 120x70 cm, XL 140x80 cm, and beyond).
- Avoid multiplying highly contrasting works in the same room: a single strong piece is often enough.
- Take natural light into account: a surface that reflects too much light can create annoying glare when facing a window.
For a wall facing a very bright window, a matt Alu Dibond support with no reflection avoids unpleasant surprises. For a room with softer light, acrylic glass renders more vibrant colours, in a gallery-like finish.
Where mural art is heading: trends to follow
The coming years promise increasing hybridisation between digital art, cyberpunk aesthetics and a return to cleaner forms close to minimalism. Two seemingly opposed trends, which nevertheless coexist very well in today's offer of wall paintings.
On one side, compositions with clean lines and subdued tones, heirs to minimalism and conceptual art. On the other, saturated colour worlds inspired by digital aesthetics and urban neons. In between, the abstract and stylised portrait continues to appeal, as in The Boldness in Colours or Modern Muse, which reinterpret the human figure with a thoroughly contemporary freedom.
To follow these developments through today's artists, an article on the great names of famous living contemporary painters an article on the great names of famous living contemporary painters offers useful landmarks, beyond the visual codes discussed here.
Also to discover
Rhythms Abstract Painting - Contemporary Abstract Art Edition
From €273.90
Discover this painting →Frequently asked questions
How do you recognise a contemporary artist?
Beyond the period (after 1960), you recognise them by their approach: a break with classical figuration, use of materials, collage or digital media, and a desire to question rather than simply represent.
What is the difference between modern art and contemporary art?
Modern art roughly covers 1870-1950 and often remains tied to traditional painting. Contemporary art, since the 1960s, multiplies mediums and approaches, from installation to digital.
How do you choose a contemporary-inspired painting for your living room?
Favour a format that occupies 60 to 75% of the width of the sofa or target wall, and one strong piece rather than an accumulation of different styles.
Which contemporary art styles are trending in decoration?
Colourful abstraction, neon art and geometric compositions currently dominate, with a gradual rise in aesthetics inspired by digital media.
Making the spirit of a contemporary artist your own at home requires neither an art history degree nor an encyclopaedia of names to memorise. Just an eye that can spot abstraction, texture, neon or collage — and a wall ready to welcome them. To go further, the collection of contemporary abstract paintings the collection of contemporary abstract paintings brings together several concrete leads for moving from idea to hanging.
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