The Cremaster Cycle

The Cremaster Cycle is an art project comprising five feature-length films, alongside related sculptures, photographs, drawings, and artist's books. Created by American visual artist and filmmaker Matthew Barney over an eight-year period from 1994 to 2002, the cycle culminated in a major museum exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, subsequently traveling to the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and the Musée d'art Moderne in Paris from 2002 to 2003. Soundtracks for the films were composed and arranged by Barney's longtime collaborator, Jonathan Bepler. The collection encompasses a total runtime of 223 minutes and a reported budget of $4,000,000 with revenue of $11,047. Among the films within the cycle are Cremaster 1 (1996) and Cremaster 3 (2002). This multifaceted project represents a significant body of work for Matthew Barney. The exhibition's presentation across multiple museums underscores its status as a substantial artistic undertaking. The Cremaster Cycle is considered the best-known work of Matthew Barney.