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.