Contemporary Sculptures

At the start of the 20th century, artists such as Auguste Rodin began to redefine sculpture as an artistic medium. By the mid-20th century, popular art movements such as Abstract Expressionism blurred the lines between painting and sculpture, paving the way for today's artists to explore sculpture in innovative ways.

Contemporary sculpture is increasingly used as a means of expression in response to current issues and has become more experimental, pushing the limits of what defines three-dimensional art and frequently incorporating other art forms such as assemblage and installation. Richard Serra, for example, is an artist whose large sheet metal sculptures have redefined the viewer's interaction with art in public spaces. Jeff Koons has merged popular culture and art in a way unseen since Andy Warhol's prints.

Quick Facts

• Many contemporary sculptures make use of the surrounding environment and is intentionally created for a specific space
• Land art is a contemporary movement that forms sculpture from surrounding land or earth, such as rocks, soil, leaves, and branches
• Another growing subset of contemporary sculpture is light sculpture, which was brought to the forefront by artists such as Bruce Nauman and Dan Flavin