Cremaster 4
USA 1994. Director: Matthew Barney 
Cast: Matthew Barney, Dave Molyneux, Graham Molyneux, Steve Sinnott, Karl Sinnott

Cremaster 4 — the first instalment of “The Cremaster Cycle” to be made – is set on the Isle of Man, and combines local myth, motorcycle racing and Matthew Barney’s gonad obsession into a strange, sticky brew. Barney plays the Loughton Candidate, a flame-haired, tap-dancing satyr with two sets of impacted sockets on his head; these are to grow into the distinctive horns of the mature Loughton ram, a breed of sheep native to the island. Meanwhile, two colour-coded teams of motorcycle sidecar racers – the Ascending and Descending Hacks – prepare to depart. “When it was first shown, [Cremaster 4] represented a watershed in the use of video in the art world. The sheer logistical scale of the project, not to mention the breadth of its ambition, radically transformed notions of what was possible for artists in the medium. And, in the thrilling image of his character, the Loughton Candidate, walking across the sea floor, Barney created one of the iconic moments in contemporary art” (Francis McKee, Sight and Sound). “A surreal, slapstick fantasy; sexuality turned into a bizarre vaudeville” (Stephen Holden, New York Times). Colour, 35mm. 42 mins.

Cremaster 5
USA 1997. Director: Matthew Barney With: Ursula Andress, Matthew Barney, Joanne Rha, Susan Rha, Amy Chiang