The Queens artist Matthew Barney has premiered his latest installation, his first since the five-part symbol-heavy film-spree Creamster. The new visual piece, River of Fundament, carries in similar detail, fashion and ritual, celebrating themes of death and decay through Norman Mailer--but in a way only Barney can transcribe.
His latest exhibit is in the form of a film and is a creative reading of Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings (1983). The text is an idea that champions the Book of the Dead into a more modern context. While the Book of the Dead may been destroyed by critics, it's become the basis for Barney's River of Fundament.
His former, Cremaster, is also rooted in ancient technique--centered around Masonic rites, Celtic myth and Mormonism as per The New York Times. In continuation with his affinity for ancient rituals, Fundament falls in step with Cremaster while also adopting Mailer's version of Egyptian cosmology, which instructs that the dead must find reincarnation through a river of feces.
A 6-hour premiere, River of Fundament has been released to mixed reviews. Glenn Kenny even commented:
"The imagery of River of Fundament grows ever more aggressive, until a third act that's almost an assault. Suffice it to say that it makes Pink Flamingos look like The Sound of Music, and if that sounds hard to believe, don't say I didn't warn you. That said, it's clear that Mr. Barney's purpose is entirely serious (there are no laughs to be had here, even unintentional, unless you're the type of person who likes forcing the issue), and the web of allusions and cultural associations Mr. Barney weaves is, on a certain level, staggering, and sometimes moving. For that reason, River of Fundament is often a commanding, engaging and certainly challenging experience. Nevertheless, by the end of the piece I felt deliberately alienated, and to a nearly infuriating degree."
Nonetheless Barney is exploring new ground in his own abstract concepts, but River of Fundament appears to remove the middle and come at the audience with more intention than Cremaster.
But don't take my word for it, preview Fundament below.
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