Matthew Barney

The Profile

Matthew Barney (born 1967) is an American contemporary artist known for film, sculpture and performance. He is best known for The Cremaster Cycle, a five-part video-art series released during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Born 1967 in San Francisco. Rose to prominence with The Cremaster Cycle (installments released 1994–2002). Works across film, sculpture and performance; widely cited as a major figure in contemporary video art.

The provided review celebrates Matthew Barney's The Cremaster Cycle as a landmark of video art: a five-chapter, visually dense, symbolic series that treats genital anatomy in a clinical, non-sexual way. Released out of numeric order between 1994 and 2002, the cycle totals nearly seven hours and is praised for enduring visual power and baroque richness. Barney is credited with elevating video art into a sustained media event.