Pj Linden

PJ Linden is a New York City and Pennsylvania based fine artist known for her abstract, three-dimensional work. She paints with machine-like precision, creating microscopic patterns on found objects, fashion and technology. Linden got her start, working with Patricia Field, creating custom, one-of-a-kind art and fashion, under the name Wonderpuss Octopus. At Field's iconic, namesake boutique, Linden's work caught the eye of celebrity clients, including Beyoncé, Willow Smith, Kelly Osborne and Solange Knowles. Linden has since collaborated with and created pieces for Miley Cyrus, KidRobot, Norma Kamali, The CFDA, Alife, Sharon Needles, Pearl Liaison, Samsung and Swarovski. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Marie Claire Italia, Culture Magazine, Plastik Magazine and Paper Magazine. She has shown alongside art heavyweights such as Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey and Kenny Scharf, and has exhibited at The Hole gallery, the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Paradigm Gallery + Studio, Reverse Space, Superchief Gallery, Art Basel Miami, the Museum of Sex and the Museum of Ice Cream. Linden continues to work as a fine artist, an international muralist and the resident artist for The House of Yes.

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.