Matthew Barney-Value Added without Appreciation

Perhaps one of the more challenging and uncomfortable is performance art. The reason for that is the medium does not sit on a shelf or hang on a wall waiting to be notice; but rather actively engaging you forcing a reaction. The CREMASTER series by Matthew Barney is a prime example of just how bizarre and somewhat haunting performance art can be. As much as we may hate this type of performance wish we could just turn it off and run the other way, it is important it is value added to the market place of ideas. As the course progresses we are finally beginning to understand what art is. Art is just like everything this. Art we like, art we don’t art we appreciate art we don’t think is art, art that is classic, art that is cheesy. But that is similar to music just because I can’t appreciate, enjoy and even consider heavy metal music it is still important. It contributes to the context and the frame work of how we evaluate not only art but ourselves and this give and take is extenuated best in provoking performance art piece such as Matthew Barney. The more we “peel the onion” the more value the work adds. Not just “I don’t like it” , but “I don’t like it because it creeps me out and unsettles me and I want art to make me happy”.  Again we struggle to see the brilliance of Barney he obviously has a talent and an important contribution to the overall field of art just not one we choose to enjoy.