Cosmic Hunt. MultiCam Virgin 2019

Matthew Barney’s ‘Cosmic Hunt. MultiCam Virgin’ looks like it was made with large swooping gestures, maybe a big brush, or even a rag, across a metal surface. I wonder what Barney was thinking as he made it? Maybe he was trying to capture the feeling of something enormous, like a galaxy swirling, or a powerful force, barely under control. He’s one of those artists that reminds us that paintings don't have to be just paint on canvas. The metallic surface here has a particular sheen, and the colors feel both earthy and otherworldly. That one spiraling stroke near the top looks like it might have taken a few tries to get just right. Barney’s work is very distinct, yet also seems to carry on a dialogue with artists who came before him, like the action painters. It’s all one big, ongoing conversation. He embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, inviting us to see and feel in multiple ways.