Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle: A Comprehensive Retrospective
Matthew Barney's five-film masterpiece, The Cremaster Cycle, delves into themes of male identity, sexuality, and mythology. This series was exhibited at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris from October 10, 2002, to January 5, 2003, and later at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from February 13 to May 11, 2003. Created between 1994 and 2002, the films—Cremaster 4 (1994), Cremaster 1 (1995), Cremaster 5 (1997), Cremaster 2 (1999), and Cremaster 3 (2002)—were shown in a non-linear format. Featuring minimal dialogue and music by Jonathan Bepler, the films also highlight significant locations such as the Chrysler Building, Isle of Man, and Budapest, with figures like Harry Houdini and Ursula Andress. Additionally, it was displayed at Museum Ludwig from June 1 to September 1, 2002.
Key facts
- Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle was shown at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris from October 10, 2002 to January 5, 2003.
- The cycle consists of five films: Cremaster 4 (1994), Cremaster 1 (1995), Cremaster 5 (1997), Cremaster 2 (1999), and Cremaster 3 (2002).
- The films were produced and shown out of chronological order.
- Music for the cycle was composed by Jonathan Bepler.
- The cycle uses materials such as salt, wax, petroleum jelly, resin, silicone, and concrete as metaphors for organic fluids.
- Cremaster 1 features Goodyear blimps over Bronco Stadium at Boise State University.
- The title refers to the cremaster muscles that control testicular temperature.
- The cycle explores themes of male identity, gender, and transgender identity.
- Key locations include the Chrysler Building, the Isle of Man, and Budapest.
- The cycle was also presented at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne from June 1 to September 1, 2002.
Entities
Artists
- Matthew Barney
- Jonathan Bepler
- Marti Domination
- Richard Serra
- Aimee Mullins
- Ursula Andress
- Harry Houdini
- Gary Gilmore
- Dave Lombardo
- Steve Tucker
- Busby Berkeley
- Fabrice Hybert
- Rem Koolhaas
- Hugh Ferris
- Neville Wakefield
- Nancy Spector
- Charles-Arthur Boyer
- élisabeth Lebovici
Institutions
- Barbara Gladstone Gallery
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Museum Ludwig
- Kunsthalle Vienna
- Museum für Gegenwartskunst Basel
- Portikus Frankfurt
- Fundacio La Caixa Barcelona
- Regen Projects Los Angeles
- Walker Art Center Minneapolis
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Wiener Staatsoper
- Yale University
- Boise State University
- Goodyear
- Chrysler
- Slayer
- Morbid Angel
- Agnostic Front
- Murphy's Law
- Libération
Locations
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Cologne
- Germany
- San Francisco
- Boise
- Idaho
- Columbia Icefield
- Canada
- Bonneville Salt Flats
- Utah
- Isle of Man
- Ireland
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Vienna
- Austria
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Frankfurt
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Los Angeles
- California
- Minneapolis
- Minnesota
Sources
- artpress —