Matthew Barney (born March 25, 1967) is an American

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

ist and film director who works in the fields of sculpture, film, photography and drawing. His works explore connections among

geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

and

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

as well as notable themes of

sex Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...

, intercourse, and conflict. His early pieces were sculptural installations combined with

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

and

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

. Between 1994 and 2002, he created ''

The Cremaster Cycle ''The Cremaster Cycle'' is a series of five feature-length films, together with related sculptures, photographs, drawings, and artist's books, created by American visual artist and film-maker Matthew Barney. ''The Cremaster Cycle'' was made over ...

'', a series of five films described by Jonathan Jones in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' as "one of the most imaginative and brilliant achievements in the history of

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

cinema." He is also known for his projects ''

Drawing Restraint 9 ''Drawing Restraint 9'' is a 2005 film project by visual artist Matthew Barney consisting of a feature-length film, large-scale sculptures, photographs, drawings, and books. The Drawing Restraint series consists of 19 numbered components and rela ...

'' (2005), ''

River of Fundament ''River of Fundament'' is a 2014 operatic experimental film written and directed by American contemporary artist and filmmaker Matthew Barney, and co-directed by longtime collaborator Jonathan Bepler. It was produced by Barney and the Laurenz Fo ...

'' (2014) and ''Redoubt'' (2018).

Life and career

Matthew Barney was born March 25, 1967, as the younger of two children in

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, where he lived until he was 7.Kristine McKenna (November 20, 1994)
This Boise Life, or Hut Hut Houdini
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''. He lived in

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

from 1973 to 1985, where his father got a job administering a catering service at

Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a Public university, public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has b ...

Michael Kimmelman Michael Kimmelman (born May 8, 1958) is the Architecture criticism, architecture critic for ''The New York Times'' and has written about public housing and homelessness, public space, landscape architecture, community development and equity, infr ...

(October 10, 1998)
The Importance of Matthew Barney
''

New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazin ...

''. and where he attended elementary, middle, and high school. His parents divorced and his mother, an abstract painter, moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he would frequently visit. It was there where he was first introduced to the art scene. Barney was recruited by

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 1985 to play football and planned to go into

pre-med Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students mostly in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med ...

, but he also intended to study art. In 1989, he graduated from Yale. His earliest works, created at Yale, were staged at the university's

Payne Whitney Gymnasium The Payne Whitney Gymnasium is the gymnasium of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. One of the largest athletic facilities ever built, its twelve acres of interior space include a nine-story tower containing a third-floor swimming pool, fe ...

. In the 1990s, Barney moved to New York, where he worked as a catalog

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided in ...

, a career that helped him finance his early work as an artist. In 2002, Barney had a daughter with his then partner, the singer

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

, with whom he lived in a penthouse co-op in Brooklyn Heights. By September 2013, Barney and Björk were no longer a couple; Björk chronicled the breakup in her 2015 album ''

Vulnicura ''Vulnicura'' is the eighth studio album by Icelandic musician and singer Björk. It was produced by Björk, Arca and The Haxan Cloak, and released on 20 January 2015 by One Little Indian Records. Björk said the album expresses her feelings bef ...

''. , Barney maintained a studio in Long Island City, Queens. Matthew Barney is represented by Gladstone Gallery.

Works

''Drawing Restraint'' (1987–present)

The ''Drawing Restraint'' series began in 1987 as a series of studio experiments, drawing upon an athletic model of development in which growth occurs only through restraint: the muscle encounters resistance, becomes engorged and is broken down, and in healing becomes stronger. In literally restraining the body while attempting to make a drawing, ''Drawing Restraint 1–6'' (1987–89) were documentations made using video and photography. ''Drawing Restraint 7'' marks the influx of narrative and characterization, resulting in a three channel video and a series of drawings and photographs, for which Barney was awarded the Aperto Prize in the 1993

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...

. A series of ten vitrines containing drawings, ''Drawing Restraint 8'' was included in the 2003 Venice Biennale and prefigured the narrative development for ''

'' (2005). A major project consisting of a feature-length film and soundtrack composed by Björk, large-scale sculptures, photographs and drawings, ''Drawing Restraint 9'' was built upon themes such as the

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

religion, the tea ceremony, the history of

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

, and the supplantation of blubber with refined petroleum for oil. A full-scale survey of Barney's work through ''Drawing Restraint 9'' was held at the

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum and nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art ...

in 2006 and included over 150 objects of varying media. ''Drawing Restraint 10 – 16'' (2005–07) are site-specific performances that recall the earlier Yale pieces. ''Drawing Restraint 17'' and ''18'' were performed at the

Schaulager The Schaulager is a museum in Newmünchenstein, a sub-district of Münchenstein in the canton of Basel-Country, Switzerland. Built in 2002/2003 under commission of the Laurenz Foundation, it was designed by the renowned architectural office of ...

in Basel in 2010 in conjunction with the exhibition "Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail," a survey of the ''Drawing Restraint'' series through ''Drawing Restraint 18''. ''Drawing Restraint 19'' employs a skateboard as a drawing tool. A block of graphite is mounted beneath the skateboard deck on the front end of the board. A skater performs a nose manual (a wheelie on the nose of the board, leaning in the direction of movement) across a smooth surface, tipping the nose of the board forward and leaving behind a drawn graphite line. The piece was part of a benefit art show and auction titled "Good Wood", raising awareness and funds for Power House Productions' ''Ride It Sculpture Park'' in Detroit, Michigan. The riding was performed on site by skateboarder

Lance Mountain Robert Lance Mountain (born June 13, 1964) is an American professional skateboarder and artist who was one of the prominent skateboarders throughout the 1980s, primarily due to his involvement with the Bones Brigade. As of August 2017, Mounta ...

, documented by photographer Joe Brook and published by Juxtapoz Magazine in their February 2013 issue. The board was purchased by People Skate and Snowboard and it is displayed at their only location in

Keego Harbor, Michigan Keego Harbor is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit, Keego Harbor is located roughly from downtown Detroit, and about southwest of Pontiac. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of ...

''The Cremaster Cycle'' (1994–2002)

Matthew Barney's epic ''Cremaster'' cycle (1994–2002) is a self-enclosed aesthetic system consisting of five feature-length films that explore processes of creation. The cycle unfolds not just cinematically, but also through the photographs, drawings, sculptures, and installations the artist produces in conjunction with each episode. Its conceptual departure point is the male

cremaster muscle The cremaster muscle is a paired structure made of thin layers of striated and smooth muscle that covers the testicles and the spermatic cords in human males. It consists of the lateral and medial parts. Cremaster is an involuntary muscle, respo ...

, which controls

testicular A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone. The r ...

contractions in response to external stimuli. Barney's long-time collaborator Jonathan Bepler composed and arranged the films’ soundtracks. The project is rife with anatomical allusions to the position of the reproductive organs during the embryonic process of sexual differentiation: ''Cremaster 1'' represents the most "ascended" or undifferentiated state, ''Cremaster 5'' the most "descended" or differentiated. The cycle repeatedly returns to those moments during early sexual development in which the outcome of the process is still unknown. In Barney's metaphoric universe, these moments represent a condition of pure potentiality. As the cycle evolved over eight years, Barney looked beyond biology as a way to explore the creation of form, employing narrative models from other realms, such as biography, mythology, and geology. The photographs, drawings, and sculptures radiate outward from the narrative core of each film installment. Barney's photographs—framed in plastic and often arranged in

diptych A diptych (, ) is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by a hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world was a diptych consisting of a pair of such plates that contained a ...

s and

triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...

s that distill moments from the plot—often emulate classical portraiture. His

graphite Graphite () is a Crystallinity, crystalline allotrope (form) of the element carbon. It consists of many stacked Layered materials, layers of graphene, typically in excess of hundreds of layers. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable ...

and

petroleum jelly Petroleum jelly, petrolatum (), white petrolatum, soft paraffin, or multi-hydrocarbon, CAS number 8009-03-8, is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons (with carbon numbers mainly higher than 25), originally promoted as a topical ointment for i ...

drawings represent key aspects of the project's conceptual framework.

''River of Fundament'' (2006–2014)

''River of Fundament'' takes the form of a three-act opera and is loosely based on

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...

’s novel ''

Ancient Evenings ''Ancient Evenings'' is a 1983 historical novel by American author Norman Mailer. Set in ancient Egypt and dealing with the lives of the characters Menenhetet One and Meni, the novel received mixed reviews. Reviewers noted the historical research ...

''. In collaboration with composer Jonathan Bepler, Barney combines traditional modes of narrative cinema with filmed elements of performance, sculpture, and opera, reconstructing Mailer’s hypersexual story of Egyptian gods and the seven stages of reincarnation, alongside the rise and fall of the American car industry. Barney replaced the human body with the body of the 1967 Chrysler Imperial that was the central motif from his earlier film ''Cremaster 3''.Matthew Barney: Ancient Evenings: Libretto, March 20 - May 9, 2009
Gladstone Gallery, Brussels. The film’s central scene is an abstraction of Mailer’s wake, set in a replica of the late author’s apartment in Brooklyn Heights and featuring

Maggie Gyllenhaal Margalit Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal ( , ; born November 16, 1977) is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gylle ...

Paul Giamatti Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti ( ; born June6, 1967) is an American actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globes, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award. After studying a ...

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, singer, and comedienne, known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, music ...

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy A ...

, Peter Donald Badalamenti II,

Joan La Barbara Joan Linda La Barbara (born June 8, 1947) is an American vocalist and composer known for her explorations of non-conventional or "extended" vocal techniques. Considered to be a vocal virtuoso in the field of contemporary music, she is credited ...

, and jazz percussionist

Milford Graves Milford Graves (August 20, 1941 – February 12, 2021) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/ herbalist, and martial artist. Graves was noteworthy for his ...

''Redoubt'' (2018–2021)

Barney began producing a new two-hour film, ''Redoubt'', in 2017, which premiered in March 2019. It is set in the Sawtooth Range of Idaho, United States, and uses multiple layers of myths, including the myth of Diana and Actaeon, as well as references to the controversial reintroduction of wolves into the Sawtooth Mountains and

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

, to discuss "humanity's place in the natural world". The Yale University Art Gallery debuted ''Redoubt'' on March 1, 2019, alongside an exhibition of large bronze and brass sculptures and electroplated engravings inspired by the film. The show traveled afterward to UCCA Beijing (2019-2020), then Hayward Gallery in London (2020- 2021).

Performance

Barney has explored live performance before an audience. The pieces ''REN'' and ''Guardian of the Veil'' revisit the language of the ''Cremaster Cycle'', via a ritualistic exploration of Egyptian symbolism inspired by

's novel ''

''. ''Guardian of the Veil'' took place on July 12, 2007, at the

Manchester International Festival The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first takin ...

in England. ''REN'' took place on May 18, 2008, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. His October 2, 2010 performance, ''KHU'', the second part in his seven-part performance series in collaboration with Jonathan Bepler inspired by ''

,'' took place in Detroit. In June 2009, a collaboration between Barney and

Elizabeth Peyton Elizabeth Joy Peyton (born 1965) is an American contemporary artist working primarily in painting, drawing, and printmaking. Best known for figures from her own life and those beyond it, including close friends, historical personae, and icons of c ...

, titled ''Blood of Two'', was performed for the opening of the Deste Foundation's exhibition space, the Slaughterhouse, located on the Greek island Hydra. The two-hour performance involved divers retrieving from a nearby cove a vitrine containing drawings which had been submerged for months. A funeral-like procession of fishermen carried the case up a winding set of stairs. At one point, a dead shark was laid on the case, and the fishermen proceeded to the gallery space, carrying the case and shark, accompanied by the onlookers and a herd of goats. At the Slaughterhouse, the case was opened, water poured out, and the drawings revealed. The shark was eventually cooked and fed to the guests.

Public projects

In June 2017, Barney, local art curator Brandon Stosuy, and other artists installed ''Remains Board'' on his studio in Long Island City. The board is a large seven-segment digital clock, visible from the United Nations and midtown Manhattan, counting down the days, hours, and minutes remaining in the U.S. president Donald Trump's first term. The ''Remains Board'' was initially illuminated during a durational performance of physical comedy by Josh Fadem. On inauguration day in 2021, at 12:00 p.m.,

Haela Hunt-Hendrix Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix (formerly Hunter Hunt-Hendrix; born January 25, 1985), also known as HHH, is an American musician and composer best known for her work as a creator, lead singer, and guitarist of experimental black metal band Liturgy. ...

Liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

performed a guitar solo beneath the ''Remains Board'' as the clock began to approach 00:00:00.

Exhibitions

Following his inclusion in two group shows at Althea Viafora gallery in New York in 1990, Barney's solo debut in 1991 at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery was hailed by ''The New York Times'' as "an extraordinary first show". That same year, at the age of twenty-four, he had a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen () is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from its two most important donors, Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. The museum is located a ...

, Rotterdam, organized a solo exhibition of his work that toured Europe throughout 1995 and 1996. Barney was subsequently included in many international exhibitions, such as documenta 9 in Kassel (1992); the 1993 and 1995 Biennial exhibitions at the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

, New York; and Aperto ’93 at the 48th

, for which he was awarded the Europa 2000 Prize.Matthew Barney

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue between 88th and 89th Street (Manhattan), 89th Streets on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It hosts a permanent coll ...

, New York. For the season 2000/2001 in the Vienna State Opera, Barney designed a large scale picture (176 sqm) as part of the exhibition series "Safety Curtain", conceived by

museum in progress museum in progress is a private art association based in Vienna. The non-profit art initiative was created in 1990 by Kathrin Messner and Josef Ortner († 2009) with the aim to develop new presentation forms for contemporary art. The projects ...

."Safety Curtain 2000/2001"
museum in progress, Vienna. "Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle", an exhibition of artwork from the entire cycle organized by the

, premiered at the

Museum Ludwig Museum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany, houses a collection of modern art. It includes works from Pop Art, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It holds many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lic ...

, Cologne, in June 2002 and subsequently traveled to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. A large-scale exhibition of the entire “Drawing Restraint” series was organized by the 21st Century Museum for Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, in 2005 and traveled to

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art The Leeum Museum of Art () is a museum in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. It is run by the Samsung Foundation of Culture. It is considered one of South Korea's top three private art museums. The museum consists of two parts, on ...

, Seoul;

;

Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Westminster, Greater London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Galler ...

, London; and

Kunsthalle Wien Kunsthalle Wien is the city of Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city ...

, Vienna. Barney has also had major solo exhibitions organized by

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is a privately owned contemporary art gallery in Oslo in Norway. It was founded and opened to the public in 1993. The collection's main focus is the American appropriation artists from the 1980s, but it i ...

in Oslo (2003), Living Art Museum in Reykjavik (2003), Sammlung Goetz in Munich (2007), and Fondazione Merz in Turin (2008). His work has been included in major group exhibitions including "Moving Pictures" at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and

Guggenheim Bilbao The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Bilbao, Biscay, Spain. It is one of several museums affiliated to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish a ...

(2002),

(2003), "Quartet: Barney, Gober,

Levine Levine (French transliteration from Russian) / Levin (English transliteration from Russian Левин) is a common Ashkenazi Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Levi. Levinsky is a variation with the same meaning. People with the name Levi ...

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

" at

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in ...

in Minneapolis (2005), Biennial of Moving Images at Centre pour l’Image Contemporaine in Paris (2005), and "All in the Present Must Be Transformed: Matthew Barney and

Joseph Beuys Joseph Heinrich Beuys ( ; ; 12 May 1921 – 23 January 1986) was a German artist, teacher, performance artist, and Aesthetics, art theorist whose work reflected concepts of humanism and sociology. With Heinrich Böll, , Caroline Tisdall, Rober ...

" at

Deutsche Guggenheim The Deutsche Guggenheim was an art museum in Berlin, Germany, open from 1997 to 2013.Kuhla, Karoline"Final Exhibition: The Guggenheim's Farewell to Berlin" ''Spiegel Online'', November 15, 2012 It was located in the ground floor of the Deutsche B ...

in Berlin (2006). In 2013, the

Morgan Library & Museum The Morgan Library & Museum (originally known as the Pierpont Morgan Library and colloquially known the Morgan) is a museum and research library in New York City, New York, U.S. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J. P. Morg ...

mounted “Subliming Vessel: The Drawings of Matthew Barney”, the first museum retrospective devoted to the artist's drawings, later traveling to the

Bibliothèque Nationale de France The (; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites, ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository of all that is published in France. Some of its extensive collections, including bo ...

in Paris. In 2014, Barney exhibited "River of Fundament" at Haus der Kunst, Munich. The exhibition later traveled to the Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania and the

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's ori ...

. "River of Fundament" was considered the largest filmic project since the Cremaster Cycle and first major museum solo exhibition in Los Angeles. In 2019, the Yale University Art Gallery exhibited "Matthew Barney: Redoubt," the first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. since the presentation of "River of Fundament" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, in 2015–16.

Critical analysis

Barney's work has provoked strong critical reaction, both positive and negative. Barney's work has been compared to performance artists

Chris Burden Christopher Lee Burden (April 11, 1946 – May 10, 2015) was an American artist working in performance art, sculpture, and installation art. Burden became known in the 1970s for his performance art works, including ''Shoot (Burden), Shoot'' (1971) ...

and

Vito Acconci Vito Acconci (, ; January 24, 1940 – April 27, 2017) was an American performance art, performance, video and installation artist, whose diverse practice eventually included sculpture, architectural design, and landscape design. His performan ...

, and some critics have argued that Barney's art is simultaneously a critique and a celebration of commercialism and blockbuster filmmaking. Commenting on the ''Cremaster'' series' enigmatic nature, Alexandra Keller and Frazer Ward write: The philosopher Arthur C. Danto, well known for his work on aesthetics, has praised Barney's work, noting the importance of Barney's use of sign systems such as

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

symbology. Others have asserted Barney's works are contemporary expressions of

surrealism Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

. In the words of Chris Chang, Barney's ''Cremaster'' films, though "completely arcane, hermetic and solipsistic ... nevertheless periodically provide some of the most enigmatically beautiful experimental film imagery you'll ever see." "Is Barney's work a new beginning for a new century?", asks Richard Lacayo, writing in ''Time''. "It feels more like a very energetic longing for a beginning, in which all kinds of imagery have been put to the service of one man's intricate fantasy of return to the womb. Something lovely and exasperating is forever in formation there. Will he ever give birth?" "Barney is the real thing. When he brings his boundless imagination to a subject he goes down to its depths to create images and implant ideas that stay in your mind for ever" writes art historian Richard Dorment in ''The Daily Telegraph''.

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

also admires Barney's work and credited him as an influence on the music video for West's song "

Famous Famous may refer to: Companies * Famous Brands, a South African restaurant franchisor * Famous Footwear, an American retail store chain * Famous Music, the music publishing division of Paramount Pictures * Famous Studios, the animation division ...

Awards and prizes

*Europa 2000 Prize, Aperto '93, 45th Venice Biennale, 1993. *

Hugo Boss Prize The Hugo Boss Prize was an award given every other year to an artist (or group of artists) working in any medium, anywhere in the world. Upon its establishment in 1996, it distinguished itself from other art awards because it has no restrictions on ...

, Guggenheim Museum, 1996. *James D. Phelan Art Award in Video, Bay Area Video Coalition, San Francisco Foundation, 1999. *Glen Dimplex Award, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, 2002. *Kaiser Ring Award, Museum für moderne Kunst, Goslar, Germany, 2007. *Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award, 54th San Francisco International Film Festival, 2011.

Publications

*Kirk, Kara. ''Matthew Barney: New Work''. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, 1991. . *Wakefield, Neville, and Richard Flood. ''Pace Car for the Hubris Pill''. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1995. . *Barney, Matthew. ''Cremaster 4''. Foundation Cartier, Paris and Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York, 1995. . *Kertess, Klaus. ''Matthew Barney: Drawing Restraint Volume 7''. Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern, Germany, 1996. . *Barney, Matthew. ''Cremaster 1''. Kunsthalle Wien, Museum für Gegenwartskunst Basel, Basel, 1997. . *Barney, Matthew. ''Cremaster 5''. Portikus, Frankfurt, and Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York, 1997. . *Flood, Richard, and Matthew Barney. Cremaster 2. Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1999. . *Barney, Matthew. Cremaster 3. Guggenheim Museum, Distributed Art Publishers, Inc., New York, 2002. . *Barney, Matthew. Matthew Barney/The Cremaster Cycle. Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin, 2002. *Spector, Nancy, and Neville Wakefield. Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle. Guggenheim Museum Publications and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2002. . *Kvaran, Gunnar B., and Nancy Spector. Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle. Astrup Fearnley Museet for Moderne Kunst, Oslo, 2003. . *McKee, Francis, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Matthew Barney. Drawing Restraint Volume 1. Walther König, Cologne, 2005. . *Hasegawa, Itsuko, and Shinichi Nakagawa. Drawing Restraint Volume 2. Uplink Co., Tokyo, 2005. . *Barney, Matthew. Drawing Restraint Volume 3. Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, 2005. . *Barney, Matthew. Drawing Restraint Volume 4. JMc & GHB Editions, New York and Sammlung-Goetz, Munich, 2007. . *Wakefield, Neville. Drawing Restraint Volume 5. Walther König, Cologne, 2007. . *Barney, Matthew. Matthew Barney. Mönchehaus Museum für Moderne Kunst, Goslar, Germany, 2007. *Barney, Matthew, Karsten Löckemann, and Stephan Urbaschek. Matthew Barney. Kunstverlag Ingvild Goetz, Munich, 2007. . *Barney, Matthew, and Olga Gambari. Matthew Barney: mitologie contemporanee. Fondazione Merz, Turin, 2009. . *Cook, Angus. Matthew Barney and Elizabeth Peyton: Blood of Two. Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art, Greece, Walther König, Cologne, 2009. *Barney, Matthew. Drawing Restraint Volume 6. Schaulager/Laurenz Foundation, Basel, 2010. *Barney, Matthew. Matthew Barney: KHU Playbill. Barney Studio, New York, 2010. *Barney, Matthew. Matthew Barney: Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail. Schaulager, Switzerland, and Schwabe Verlag Basel, Basel, 2010. *Barney, Matthew. Matthew Barney: DJED Playbill, Gladstone Gallery, New York, 2011. *Dervaux, Isabelle. ''Subliming Vessel: the Drawings of Matthew Barney''. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, 2013. *Enwezor, Okwui, Hilton Als, Diedrich Diederichsen, Homi K. Bhabha, David Walsh, and Louise Neri. ''River of Fundament''. N.Y: Skira Rizzoli, New York, 2014. *Barney, Matthew, Pamela Franks, and Elisabeth Hodermarsky. ''Matthew Barney: Redoubt''. Conn: Yale University Press, New Haven, 2019. *Barney, Matthew, Pamela Franks, and Elisabeth Hodermarsky with the introduction by Philip Tinari.《''马修 · 巴尼：堡垒》''. Culture and Art Publishing House, Beijing, 2019.

References

External links

The Cremaster Cycle Web Site

The Drawing Restraint Web Site

Gladstone Gallery
*
Matthew Barney on Artabase

by Susan Kruglinski – examination of Barney's career, comparing it with that of

Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings"—with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been a ...

Matthew Barney at the Guggenheim

Galerie Max Hetzler, Matthew Barney

Review of Matthew Barney's "Redoubt" in Sculpture magazineMatthew Barney and Gasper Noé
for ''BOMB Magazine'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Barney, Matthew 1967 births Living people American experimental filmmakers Artists from New York (state) Artists from San Francisco Bioartists Capital High School (Boise, Idaho) alumni American video artists Yale School of Art alumni People from Brooklyn Heights Yale Bulldogs football players