27 Trendy Modern Garden Sculptures

When you want a modern look to your lawn or garden, modern garden sculptures can be a great way to bring this theme and style together. You can choose modern garden statues for any type of garden, flowers or vegetables, and for any type of lawn landscape.

There are many types of outdoor garden statues to choose from which makes it easier to find styles that suit your tastes and the needs you have in your landscape. While the primary function of garden art is to look nice, it can also serve more functional purposes too, which we will talk about in this post.

One thing that is different from formal gardens with traditional statues is that modern gardens have less traditional art and design. Instead, they may push the envelope or think outside the box. There may also be more sleek and clean elements, as this goes with a modern style.

For example, you may not see a classical bronze sculpture but instead a metal abstract piece in bright colors. Let’s dive deeper into types of modern garden art.

Types of Modern Garden Sculptures

Of the many types of garden sculptures you can choose from, modern sculptures are a popular choice. This era of art is still very popular and it also suits well for modern-styled gardens.

Contemporary garden sculpture follows new trends and often pushes the limits of what is the norm or expected. Pure modern designs will follow themes from the 1990s, usually. I will explain this more below. Landscape architects will often use modern art in a modern-styled garden to help differentiate it from a classical garden.

Abstract lawn sculptures

An abstract sculpture is one that does not take on a specific shape of something that can be identified.

Unique sculpture shapes or styles are not uncommon. Sphere sculptures can even be done in an abstract design. Let’s look at some examples of abstract lawn sculptures.

1. Metal agave plant lawn ornament

These metal agave plants would look great year-round in your garden.

2. Modern metal sculpture

This is a true abstract piece in a bright, bold color that will really pop.

3. Balloon dog animal statue

This dog sculpture is shaped like a balloon animal and has an abstract graffiti-style paint job. It’s a lot of fun!

4. Black abstract garden art

This is a large, tall abstract piece that would work great for your lawn or garden.

5. Resin minimalist art statue

This white, sleek, minimalist-style statue is very stunning.

6. Silver freestanding abstract metal sculpture

Here’s another freestanding abstract piece that I think would look great in a garden or on a patio or porch near your garden.

7. Abstract garden decor

This bright, shiny blue will call to you from across the lawn.

8. Metal garden sculpture

Here’s a very large, stunning, copper abstract piece that would make a great focal piece in your garden. It’s sure to be a great talking piece, too.

Modern art sculptures

You can find modern art sculptures in different colors, shapes, styles, themes, and designs. Here are some that I really like.

9. Piggyback ride statue for the garden

This is a cute piggyback ride pair of kids done in an antique bronze that still has a bit of early-modern feel to it as well.

10. Coy cat statue

This modern bronze cat is so beautiful. I am planning to order a pair of them today!

11. Magnificent bald eagle on a stump – garden statue

Here’s a patriotic bald eagle for your garden. Look how proud he is.

12. Pesty the garden gopher statue

This is the only kind of gopher you’ll want in your garden. Isn’t he cute?

Modern yard stakes

When talking about lawn and garden décor, we can’t forget the popular yard stakes. These are also found in modern designs. For example, a glass garden art stake can bring a pop of color and fun wherever you want. Here are some examples:

13. Sun and moon garden stake with light-up amber egg crackled glass

This modern but whimsical sun and mood garden stake will really catch your eye.

14. Metal black cat stake

These adorable kittens are playing in the garden with some butterfly friends. So cute!

15. Waterproof metal sun – decorative stakes for walkway

This solar stake is bright and bold and great to line your garden or walkway. You may want to get a few.

A great garden stake has the flexibility of being moved easily, too, should you ever need to.

Modern concrete statues

While we typically associate stone and concrete with older and classical styles, there are modern concrete statues as well.

Some will take abstract forms and some will be in identifiable forms. Let’s look at some examples.

16. Standing cat statue

This cat is looking to be your garden companion.

17. Concrete head planter

I can’t decide which plant I’d want to put in here. I think I’d get more than one and could display them on my patio or the entry to my garden.

Whether a large piece or small sets, these concrete designs are something to get excited about.

Modern metal lawn art

Finally, we can’t forget metal art. Even in modern designs, we can see stainless steel sculptures and others made from metals and wire.

Here’s a garden decor metal sculpture you may like:

18. Metal garden spheres

These metal garden spheres are perfect for the modern art fan.

19. Ant garden decor

This friendly ant will add a touch of art to your garden decor. It blends modern and rustic designs.

20. Metal oversized ants

These friendly ants cannot be missed. Look at their bright colors and their big, happy faces!

21. Flower garden stakes decor

And some pretty, colorful metal garden flowers can bring some color in even when the flowers are not in season.

Modern solar art

And of course, you can also find solar art in modern designs. If you have made a renewable electricity commitment in your own life, you will find that solar art is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and still have working or light-up elements in the garden décor.

Here are some examples:

22. Bee with solar light eyes

I love this bright, happy bee with solar glowing eyes. He’d be so happy in your flower garden.

23. Large metal glass solar flowers

These flowers will keep shining for you all year long. They also make a good way to line a walkway or the entrance to a garden.

24. Metal sun on silver circle yard stake

Here’s another solar sun and moon design that is just stunning. It can be a focal point in a garden or just used to light the way in the evenings.

25. Chameleon solar statue

This friendly little chameleon just wants to hang out in your garden.

Glass modern art

We also can’t forget to talk about glass garden art. Many modern designs use glass. Here are some examples.

26. Glass blue heron garden decor and solar light

This is a stunning large glass blue heron. It’s such a beautiful piece that will bring you a lot of joy.

27. Moon with sun garden decor

This is a different sun and moon design and I love the yellow color and the bright light at the night.

28. Crane garden sculptures

There are no words for these beautiful birds made of colorful glass. They are so unique and pretty and will turn lots of heads when added to your lawn or garden.

Choosing Your Lawn Sculptures

You can shop an online gallery, your local lawn and garden center, or even Amazon for modern garden art. If you’re a big collector of unique pieces, you can also look for artists directly and purchase very unique pieces. Here are some important things to know when choosing your lawn sculptures.

Modern vs. contemporary décor

Another important thing to understand is the difference between modern and contemporary sculptures. Modern style is deeply rooted in the early to mid-1900s and it typically has strong lines and natural colors. However, contemporary art involves the modern designs and trends in the here and now.

The most popular modern design era is the mid-century modern era of the 1950 and 60s and we see a lot of home décor, indoors and out, built on this style.

A contemporary artist will experience more, build on art from eras in the past, but also add a new spin or flair to it. Contemporary art follows trends and also can be more futuristic or cutting-edge.

Shopping for modern garden sculptures

If you’re shopping for modern garden sculptures, here are some things to consider:

• What type of sculpture are you looking for?
• What is your existing garden style?
• What is the size of the sculpture?
• What existing plants do you have?
• What existing water features or art do you have already?

These are just a few things to think about when shopping for your next perfect garden piece.

If you work directly with an artist for a custom piece, you can usually choose custom colors and other elements you’d like. This can provide a better experience than cookie-cutter designs you can find anywhere.

Tips for placing your garden sculptures

When you decide to decorate with garden sculptures, you also need to know where and how to place them correctly for the best impact. Here are some tips:

• Know what piece you are working with
• Conceptualize the piece first
• Consider drawing out where you will place it
• Understand the importance of the location
• Think about where you have existing plants, trees, and even where the sun rises and falls and how it will land on the sculpture
• Consider safety, such as if you will have children playing in the yard or near the garden
• Consider maintenance and how the upkeep will be over time

Creating a garden focal point

One of the best ways to use sculptures in your garden is to create a focal point. You can place it in or around water features such as a fountain or pond, for example.

Or you might choose a large outdoor sculpture to go in the center of a garden or at another focal point in your lawn. When you are in the conceptualization phase of your planning, you can think about the best area for creating a focal point in your garden.

In private gardens, many people use art like this to break up green spaces and bring attention to a specific area, or even to add some design elements when flowers are not in bloom. Plotting this out on paper or on a whiteboard can help you better envision what you want to do before you start moving sculptures around, especially if they are heavy.

Modern Garden Sculptures – Conclusion

You can brighten your outdoor space and bring elements of your own personality and style from the indoors to the outdoors with modern statues and garden sculptures. As you can see, there are so many great modern designs to choose from and no shortage of things you can do with them. In fact, the hard part might be narrowing down your favorite pieces and choosing which ones will actually make it into your garden.

Whether you are looking to create a point of interest in your landscape, bring a pop of color or fun, or extend your indoor living area to the outdoors, these garden sculptures will help you do it.

Did you learn anything new from this post?

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