Matthew Barney Sold at Auction Prices

Artist, b. 1967 -

(b 26 March, 1967 San Francisco) Born in San Francisco, Barney spent most of his childhood living in Boise, Idaho. After his parents divorced when he was twelve, his mother, an abstract painter, moved to New York City. Barney remained in Boise but frequently visited New York where he was exposed to contemporary art. After high school, Barney enrolled at Yale University as a premed student but he soon switched over to the art department. He quickly made an impression on his fellow students who convinced the school to allow him to participate in the esteemed graduate School of Art while still an undergraduate. Barney moved to New York in 1989 where he set up a studio with fellow Yale graduate, Michael Rees, and where he still lives today. His work is multimedia and includes drawings, sculpture, photography, video installations, and feature-length films. His Cremaster cycle, which was executed in five parts and consists of films with accompanying sculpture, drawings and photographs, earned Barney great critical acclaim. He received the prestigious Europa 2000 award at the Venice Biennale in 1996 as well as the Guggenheim Museum’s Hugo Boss award.