Matthew Barney

San Francisco, United States

Art Medium

Performance Art Photography Sculpture

Art Style

Conceptual Installation

About the Artist

Matthew Barney is a visionary American artist whose ambitious practice spans film, sculpture, photography, and drawing, creating an unparalleled, highly personal mythology. Best known for his monumental "Cremaster Cycle" films, Barney constructs intricate, allegorical narratives that blend autobiography, historical figures, and physiological processes. His work is characterized by its meticulous production values, grotesque yet beautiful imagery, and the transformation of materials into symbolic forms. Barney's art challenges conventional artistic boundaries, inviting viewers into a dense, meticulously crafted universe where ritual, transcendence, and physical exertion converge in deeply visceral and intellectually stimulating ways.