Matthew Barney's SECONDARY: Ambition, Failure, and the Body

Matthew Barney's newest film, SECONDARY (2023), serves as a cinematic exploration of the turmoil surrounding American football, delving into the deliberate harm inflicted on human bodies for profit and entertainment. The narrative revisits the 1978 event when Jack Tatum's tackle left Darryl Stingley paralyzed. Barney, a former football player at both high school and Yale before pursuing art, portrays quarterback Ken Stabler, who was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy after his death. At one hour long, this film is shorter than his previous projects and emphasizes a singular historical event rather than grand mythological themes. The film was presented in Barney's Long Island City studio, which has since closed, featuring five screens, surround sound, and seating on Astroturf. Throughout, Barney revisits themes from earlier works like The Cremaster Cycle and River of Fundament, transforming a tragic incident into a creative catalyst, where the impact between Stingley and Tatum creates castings that break apart like vertebrae. His art consistently investigates pain, failure, and bodily limits, incorporating ideas of antifragility and hormesis. In his DRAWING RESTRAINT series, he introduces physical challenges while drawing, and his sculptures often test materials to their breaking point.