Key takeaways
- Matthew Barney is an American contemporary artist and filmmaker known for his work in sculpture, film, photography, and drawing.
- His work often incorporates digital components and video art, exploring complex themes and mythology.
- Notable works, such as "Redoubt" and the "Cremaster Cycle", have received critical acclaim and numerous reviews.
- Barney's use of various mediums and art forms has resulted in the creation of unique and thought-provoking installations.
- His work continues to push the boundaries of film, video art, and installation, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the art world.
Matthew Barney, 2007. Author: mme psychosis, via Wikipedia
Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney (born March 25, 1967) is an American contemporary artist and filmmaker recognized for his work in sculpture, film, photography, and drawing. His art explores themes of geography, biology, geology, mythology, sexuality, and conflict. Early in his career, he created sculptural installations incorporating performance and video. Best known for his intricate sculptural installations that integrate performance and video, Matthew Barney's most ambitious work remains "The Cremaster Cycle" (1994–2002), a five-part film series exploring themes of creation, sexual differentiation, psychological identity, and mythology. Developed in collaboration with composer Jonathan Bepler, the series is distinguished by its high production values and surreal, dreamlike imagery. His other notable works include "Drawing Restraint 9" (2005), "River of Fundament" (2014), and "Redoubt" (2018).
Born in San Francisco, Barney lived there until age seven before moving to Boise, Idaho, where he attended school from 1973 to 1985. His parents divorced, and his mother, an abstract painter, relocated to New York City, exposing him to the art world during frequent visits. Since graduating from Yale University in 1989, Barney has produced works that blend sculpture, performance, and video, drawing on the physical intensity of sports and its underlying eroticism to examine the boundaries of the body and sexuality.
His artistic approach reflects his background as an athlete while engaging with contemporary discussions on the politics of the body. His ritualistic performances take place in hybridized environments resembling both training facilities and medical laboratories, featuring wrestling mats, blocking sleds, surgical tools, and materials like wax, tapioca, and petroleum jelly. His earliest pieces, staged at Yale’s athletic complex, established this distinctive aesthetic. Within his surreal universe, characters—including a performer portraying Oakland Raiders player Jim Otto and Barney himself, often nude or cross-dressed—engage in symbolic acts of transformation and identity exploration.
Barney's works are featured in the collections of institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tate Gallery in London, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He currently lives and works in New York City.
Major works
Matthew Barney's "Drawing Restraint" series, initiated in 1987, emerged from studio experiments influenced by the concept that growth occurs through resistance, much like muscle development. In "Drawing Restraint 1–6" (1987–89), Barney physically restrained himself while attempting to draw, documenting the process with video and photography. "Drawing Restraint 7" introduced narrative elements, including a three-channel video and a series of drawings and photographs, earning him the Aperto Prize at the 1993 Venice Biennale.
In 2003, "Drawing Restraint 8" featured ten vitrines of drawings at the Venice Biennale, laying the groundwork for "Drawing Restraint 9" (2005), which included a feature film, sculptures, photographs, and drawings. It explored topics such as Shintoism, the tea ceremony, whaling history, and the shift from blubber to petroleum. A retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2006 displayed over 150 pieces, and "Drawing Restraint 10–16" (2005–07) included performances reminiscent of Barney’s early work at Yale.
"Drawing Restraint 17" and "18" were performed at Schaulager in Basel in 2010 as part of the exhibition "Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail", surveying the series. "Drawing Restraint 19" involved a skateboard as a drawing tool, where a skater left behind a graphite trail while performing a "nose manual" (a wheelie on the front wheels). The work was featured in Juxtapoz Magazine (February 2013) and the skateboard is now displayed at People Skate and Snowboard in Keego Harbor, Michigan.
The "Cremaster Cycle" (1994–2002) is a series of five films that delve into the themes of creation, biology, mythology, and personal history. The cycle’s conceptual foundation is based on the male cremaster muscle, which regulates testicular movement in response to external stimuli. The films explore the process of sexual differentiation, with "Cremaster 1" symbolizing the undifferentiated state and "Cremaster 5" representing the fully developed form. Barney expands the narrative by incorporating mythology and geology, accompanied by related sculptures, drawings, and photographs.
Barney began the "Cremaster Cycle" in 1994, starting with "Cremaster 4" (1994) and following a non-chronological order. He then produced "Cremaster 1" (1995), "Cremaster 5" (1997), "Cremaster 2" (1999), and "Cremaster 3" (2002). Each of the feature-length films, which Barney wrote, directed, and often starred in, is accompanied by sculptures, drawings, and photographs. The project draws heavily from anatomical references to the reproductive organs during embryonic sexual differentiation. The cycle continuously returns to moments in sexual development where the outcome is uncertain, representing a state of pure potential in Barney’s metaphoric universe. As the cycle progressed over eight years, Barney moved beyond biology to explore the creation of form through influences from biography, mythology, and geology.
In his later work, Barney continued to build upon the materials and themes from the "Cremaster" series. His sculptures, such as "Chrysler Imperial" (2002) and "The Deportment of the Host" (2006), incorporate the self-lubricating plastic he used to frame his drawings, a material that also features prominently in the "Cremaster" films.
In 2007, Barney began "The River of Fundament" in collaboration with composer Jonathan Bepler. This experimental opera, with each act performed only once at different locations over five years, draws inspiration from Norman Mailer’s novel "Ancient Evenings" (1983). The work combines characters from the novel and from "Cremaster 3", presenting a hyper-sexualized and scatological vision of death, Egyptian mythology, and the history of the American car industry.
"River of Fundament" (2006–2014) is a three-act opera that merges cinema, performance, and sculpture. The film focuses on the rise and fall of the American car industry while reinterpreting Mailer’s mythological themes. Barney replaces the human body with a 1967 Chrysler Imperial, a recurring motif from "Cremaster 3". The central scene takes place in a replica of Mailer’s Brooklyn Heights apartment, featuring performances by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Paul Giamatti, and others.
"Redoubt" (2018–2021), which premiered in 2019, is set in Idaho’s Sawtooth Range and explores nature, mythology, and metallurgy. The film draws from the myth of Diana and Actaeon, as well as the controversial reintroduction of wolves. The Yale University Art Gallery debuted the film alongside sculptures and engravings inspired by it. The exhibition later traveled to UCCA Beijing and the Hayward Gallery in London from 2019 to 2021.
Exhibitions and awards
After participating in two group exhibitions at Althea Viafora Gallery in New York in 1990, Matthew Barney had his solo debut at Barbara Gladstone Gallery in 1991. That same year, at just 24, he was honored with a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In 1995–96, the Museum Boymans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam organized a solo exhibition of his work, which toured Europe.
Barney has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, including Documenta in Kassel (1992), the Whitney Biennials (1993, 1995), and "Aperto ’93" at the 48th Venice Biennale, where he received the Europa 2000 Prize. In 2000–2001, he created a large-scale installation for the Vienna State Opera’s "Safety Curtain" series.
His major retrospective "Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle", organized by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, debuted at Museum Ludwig in Cologne in 2002 before traveling to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Guggenheim in New York. In 2005, a large-scale exhibition of his "Drawing Restraint" series was organized by the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa and later traveled to Seoul, San Francisco, London, and Vienna. Other significant solo exhibitions include Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo (2003), Living Art Museum, Reykjavik (2003), Sammlung Goetz, Munich (2007), and Fondazione Merz, Turin (2008).
His work has also been featured in major group exhibitions such as "Moving Pictures" at the Guggenheim (New York and Bilbao, 2002), the Venice Biennale (2003), "Quartet: Barney, Gober, Levine, Walker" at the Walker Art Center (2005), and "All in the Present Must Be Transformed: Matthew Barney and Joseph Beuys" at Deutsche Guggenheim (2006).
In 2013, the Morgan Library & Museum presented "Subliming Vessel: The Drawings of Matthew Barney", the first museum retrospective of his drawings, later shown at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. In 2014, his ambitious project River of Fundament was exhibited at Haus der Kunst in Munich before traveling to Tasmania and Los Angeles, marking his most extensive filmic work since "The Cremaster Cycle". In 2019, Yale University Art Gallery hosted "Matthew Barney: Redoubt", his first solo U.S. museum exhibition since "River of Fundament" in 2015–16.
Among his many accolades, Barney has received the Guggenheim Museum’s Hugo Boss Prize (1996), the Skowhegan Medal for Combined Media (1999), the James D. Phelan Art Award in Video (2000), the Glen Dimplex Artists Award from the Irish Museum of Modern Art (2001), the Kaiser Ring Award in Germany (2007), and the Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival (2011).
Matthew Barney: The Legacy
Often described as a "superstar" of contemporary art, Barney remains a polarizing figure. Initially known for his performance art, he has elevated film as his primary medium, reinvigorating its role in contemporary art. Influenced by avant-garde pioneers such as Luis Buñuel, Jean Cocteau, and Andy Warhol, Barney’s work, blending film with performance, drawing, sculpture, and photography, sets new standards in scale, ambition, and often controversial imagery. His uncompromising approach pushes boundaries of duration, narrative, and aesthetic taste, breaking down barriers between popular culture and the contemporary art world. As art critic Sebastian Smee noted, Barney redefined video art, connecting it with other artistic disciplines and making it a significant medium for ambitious new works, with his influence even extending to the music industry, such as Lady Gaga’s early videos.
FAQ
Who is Matthew Barney and what is his artistic background?
Matthew Barney is a multimedia artist known for blending symbolism and mythology in his works. He uses various mediums like film, video art, sculpture, photography, and performance art.
How did Barney's upbringing and early life influence his artistic development?
Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Barney was exposed to themes of geography, biology, and geology. These themes became central to his art. His early experiences shaped his interests and artistic foundations.
What was Barney's educational journey and how did it impact his artistic vision?
Barney studied at Yale University, where he learned about multimedia and transformation. His early work explored themes of sex, shaping his artistic vision.
How did Barney emerge as a leading multimedia artist, and what were some of his notable early works?
Barney's early career was marked by his "Drawing Restraint" series. It showcased his unique blend of film, video art, and sculpture. His use of mythology and symbolism also began to take shape in these early works.
What is the "Cremaster Cycle", and how does it exemplify Barney's artistic vision?
The "Cremaster Cycle" is one of Barney's most acclaimed works. It explores themes of mythology, symbolism, and transformation. The cycle demonstrates his mastery of multimedia and his ability to create complex, layered narratives.
How does Barney's artistic process and medium exploration contribute to his work?
Barney's artistic process involves experimenting with performance and sculptural installations. He pushes the boundaries of traditional art forms. His use of geography also influences his artistic vision and the creation of his works.
What is the significance of mythology and symbolism in Barney's art?
Mythology and symbolism are central to Barney's work. They add depth and complexity to his exploration of themes such as sex and transformation. His use of multimedia often enhances these symbolic and mythological elements.
What are some of Barney's major exhibitions and his international recognition?
Barney's work has been widely exhibited internationally, earning him critical acclaim, and his works are featured in the collections of institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tate Gallery in London, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He currently lives and works in New York City.
How has Barney's collaborative projects and artistic relationships influenced his work?
Barney's collaborations with other artists and creatives have expanded his artistic vision. They incorporate elements of geography, biology, geology, and mythology, adding depth to his work.
What is the lasting impact of Barney's artistic vision, and what are the potential future directions of his work?
Barney's pioneering work in multimedia art has inspired many. His future directions may include new collaborative projects and innovations in his artistic practice.
Selena Mattei
