CREMASTER 4 / CREMASTER 1 on 35mm, CREMASTER 5 / CREMASTER 2 on 35mm

The American Cinematheque is delighted to welcome artist Matthew Barney for a retrospective screening of his seminal film series, THE CREMASTER CYCLE.

Spanning over three decades, Barney’s oeuvre is notably unencumbered by form; he has expressed his vision through drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, and of course, filmmaking. A former athlete, Barney’s artistic projects often explore new ways of thinking about the body, utilizing custom prosthetics, elaborate costuming, and unconventional materials to produce avant-garde narratives and imagery. Barney’s CREMASTER CYCLE is a five-film anthology, shot out of order, that has spawned accompanying works in sculpture, photography, and installation. Barney’s filmic narratives move beyond biology to explore creation through other disciplines—from mythology to geology—yet often return to the stage of development before sexual differentiation, a moment in which all outcomes are possible.