arterialtrees:
“Created by the American artist Matthew Barney, Cremaster 5 1997 is a colour film with sound and accompanying sculptural elements. The film, based around a five-act lyric opera, is a tragic love story featuring elaborate costumes, ornate set design and frequent imagery of biological reproduction. Its main characters include a queen played by the actress Ursula Andress and three roles – a diva, a giant and a magician – performed by Barney. The work was originally shot on digital betacam and subsequently transferred to 35mm film (the format on which it can be shown in a seated theatre) and high definition video (for viewing within a gallery). In its gallery installation, the work is shown as a video on a loop on two fifty-inch screens tilted slightly downwards and mounted back-to-back on a bracket suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the exhibition space.”
–Tate
