Cremaster 4 and Cremaster 5
This week, Michele and Alex take on Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 4 and 5, which played at a midnight screening last weekend in Manhattan.
Michele: For years I have heard of Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle- The masterpiece that it is, etc. I had viewed some of his art, unrelated to this particular project at the MOMA, and was impressed by it, but always sort of wondered about the conceptualization of his art. The Cremaster series is comprised of 5 levels, all based on the Cremaster muscle (a muscle that covers the testis).
For a while, I even had a copy of “The Order” a 30 minute selection of the Cremaster at my disposal. I am sort of glad that I didn’t watch it, since apparently it is only a portion of Cremaster 3. So I had no idea what to really expect in video form when Alex & I went to see Cremaster 4 & Cremaster 5 this weekend.
Alex: I’ve seen The Order before, which is 30 minutes of the 3 hour long 3rd Cremaster. Part 4 is actually the first of the cycle that Barney created. It runs only about 40 minutes. The piece crosscuts between a motorcycle race in opposite directions on the Isle of Man, while a Satyr (Barney) journeys to meet the race at its midpoint. Naked, painted female bodybuilders, underground caverns, and lots of petroleum jelly ensue.
Somewhere, Steve Jobs is smiling
Everybody knows that every other digital animation studio is just a pretender to the Pixar throne. You can count The Museum of Modern Art along with those who know that Pixar is more than just kids movies that adults can enjoy and not just tolerate.
For the next two months or so, starting today, MoMA will be featuring original artwork on loan from Pixar.
In keeping with the Museum’s long tradition of presenting animation, this is the most extensive gallery exhibition that MoMA has ever devoted to the genre. Featuring over 500 works of original art on loan for the first time from Pixar Animation Studios, the show includes paintings, concept art, sculptures, and an array of digital installations. These works reveal the intricate, hands-on processes behind Pixar’s computer-generated films—including Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and numerous shorts. The exhibition also includes a complete retrospective of Pixar films. Demonstrating the symbiotic relationship between traditional and digital media pioneered by the studio over its twenty-year history, Pixar: 20 Years of Animation is a tribute to the artists whose work has reinvented the genre.
If you’re planning to be in New York to crane your neck skyward to gawk at the giant Christmas tree, you might want to stop by MoMA to get out of the cold and enjoy some beautiful Pixar art.
On a semi-related note, I caught the “Star Wars: The Magic of Myth” exhibit when it was at the Smithsonian in 1998, and if this is half as interesting as that, it’ll be more than worth the price of admission. “Pixar: 20 Years of Animation” runs from December 14 through February 6. Check it.
An art survival guide
- Safe
- An exhibition examining people's eternal desire for security.
- Running through January 2 at the MoMA, New York City.
My favorite story that arose during the hysteria just after 9/11 had to be the one about celebrities buying up gas masks, even though they were virtually useless, especially in the hands of someone like, say, Shannon Elizabeth. She might as well have taken advice from former Homeland Security head Tom Ridge and Duct Taped her windows.
Hysteria can often have these comical results (above), as well as depressing ones (presidential elections). But whatever the outcome, it’s always a fascinating study of human behavior, which is why I had to check out an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art called “Safe.” (Check out the online version of the exhibit here.) Continues after the jump »
