Cremaster 5 1997

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. The distance from the floor to the lower edge of the screens is 275 cm, meaning the work is positioned much higher than eye-level. Four pairs of wall-mounted speakers, situated level with the lower edge of the screens, provide the sound. Directly underneath the two screens are the sculptural elements of Cremaster 5, which are displayed in a plastic case with a black metal frame. The base of the case is lined with black velvet and it contains a series of items arranged in a horizontal row. In the centre is a cast black plastic pillow that sits on a black case with silver hinges. On the left side of the case is a black velvet pouch, designed to house a laser disc version of the film that is itself displayed on the right side of the case. The version of this work owned by Tate is number ten in an edition of ten plus two artist’s proofs.