Matthew Barney

Matthew Barney (USA, 1967) is a multidisciplinary artist renowned for his visually stunning films, sculptures, and installations that merge mythology, biology, and identity. Best known for his epic Cremaster Cycle, Barney creates complex, surreal narratives exploring transformation and the human condition. His innovative and ambitious works have redefined the boundaries of contemporary art.

© Matthew Barney. All rights reserved.

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Cremaster 3 Mahalym, from The Cremaster Cycle

Matthew Barney

Cremaster 3 Mahalym, from The Cremaster Cycle, 1994-2002

Photography

Offset Print

USD 4,500

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A lot of these pieces are about creating a system and then inhabiting that system.
- Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney is a multi-medium creative artist. His most recognized (and controversial) works consist of performance art, sculpture, drawing, and symbolism blended together in a series of Avant-Garde films known as the Cremaster series. Cremaster is a scientific term referring to the ascension and dissension of a muscle of the male anatomy. 

In addition to the film series’ unusual name, the filming and release of the five films, produced between 1994-2002, were done purposely out of order, Cremaster 4, 1, 5, 2, and 3 respectively. Each movie tackles a subtheme of the whole, exploring human gender and sexuality from fetus to adulthood. Although the running theme is biological, the aesthetics are a combination of artist mediums. 

Other acclaimed films written and directed by Barney include  Drawing Restraint 9 (2006) and DeLama Lamina (2007). His films have been analyzed in detail by critics and fans for their multilayered, controversial topics and use of diverse forms of expression. 
 

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What is body art?Artwork by Yves Klein

What is body art?

Body art involves creating art directly on or with the human body. Common forms include body piercings and tattoos, but it also encompasses practices like branding, scarification, scalping, body painting, full-body tattoos, body shaping, and sub-dermal implants. Body art can also refer to a subcategory of performance art where the artist's body is central to…

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Est. 2005 — twenty years of collecting, online.