Matthew Barney: Cremaster 3

Rating:
Summary: Yawn
Review: This also refers to the exhibit currently at the Guggenheim. To see the full exhibit you have to visit 3 times to see all 5 films that are summarized in the program. Still, I got the gist of Barney's self-involved misogynistic sperm-worshiping expression of psychosis at my expense. The gist of this show is that the descent of the male testicle is the pinnacle of creation. I found the show offensive for its misogynistic treatment of the leopardess, identification with (vs. mere compassion for) Jeffrey Dammer, etc. I can see how in our Howard Stern-NASCAR culture this show would be a big it, but it's a pity. The Guggenheim shows again it is not beneath stooping to the DOLLAR. So much for culture. Barney may be a virtuoso in that he knows how to make a film, mix plastic and vaseline to create a smegma-like substance he turns into art, and throw a lot of mythic references into a stew to exorcise whatever demons possess him, but what's in it for me? It teaches me nothing about culture or history, except maybe that men run the world because their testicles have dropped. I can think of certain megalomaniac dictators who also relied on mythic allusions, worshipped mass-murder, and were considered artists. But I would rather not attend their exhibitions, and feel it's a pity that the Guggenheim thinks this is worth protecting as vital cultural material. Provocative, yes, but then, so is a train wreck.

Rating:
Summary: Virtuosity Is Not All
Review: This also refers to the exhibit currently at the Guggenheim. To see the full exhibit you have to visit 3 times to see all 5 films that are summarized in the program. Still, I got the gist of Barney's self-involved misogynistic sperm-worshiping expression of psychosis at my expense. The gist of this show is that the descent of the male testicle is the pinnacle of creation. I found the show offensive for its misogynistic treatment of the leopardess, identification with (vs. mere compassion for) Jeffrey Dammer, etc. I can see how in our Howard Stern-NASCAR culture this show would be a big it, but it's a pity. The Guggenheim shows again it is not beneath stooping to the DOLLAR. So much for culture. Barney may be a virtuoso in that he knows how to make a film, mix plastic and vaseline to create a smegma-like substance he turns into art, and throw a lot of mythic references into a stew to exorcise whatever demons possess him, but what's in it for me? It teaches me nothing about culture or history, except maybe that men run the world because their testicles have dropped. I can think of certain megalomaniac dictators who also relied on mythic allusions, worshipped mass-murder, and were considered artists. But I would rather not attend their exhibitions, and feel it's a pity that the Guggenheim thinks this is worth protecting as vital cultural material. Provocative, yes, but then, so is a train wreck.

Rating:
Summary: Yawn
Review: This has as much insight and intelligence as a 10 year old's notebook doodles. The symbols were basic and direct and the artist expects you to see insight in nothing. The actual exhibit at the Guggenheim is worse, proving there really is no central depth of understanding, just another baby boomer mentality running amuck. Maybe if the Guggenheim stopped trying to build fancy buildings and centered on ground breaking art, we wouldn't have to accept such meaningless work as meaningful. Then again, work like this just proves the Guggenheim is a sad institution worth dying. We should congratulate Mr Barney for helping them along.

Rating:
Summary: An expensive design catalog
Review: What a deception.. Mathew Barney is very talented, he's graphically great.. but he misses one point: no contact is beeing established between the character and the viewer or just between the characters, making it a very cold piece of work.. his characters look build out of plastic or simply modals saying: Okay is the photo shoot over now? So to me thats just design pictures..its as interesting as looking at a publicity book..