Throughout Lynn Brunet's article "Homage to Freemasonry or Indictment? The Cremaster Cycle", her point of view of how Matthew Barney's "Cremaster Cycle" films could be seen as a mason. Brunet describes freemasonry as ,"...a secret fraternal order... science of morality, veilled in allegory and illustrated by symbols" (91). Freemasonry is shown through symbols through biblical references. All symbols portray a certain story or message. After recapping on Barney's "Cremaster Cycle 3" and researching more about symbols of freemasonry, I could pick out certain aspects of the film were it could be percieved as Barney seeking freemasonry. Brunet states, "In the film Barney enacts his own version of the rites, taking on the role of the Entered Apprentice undergoing a set of initiatory trials, and depicts the central myth of the Order, the murder of Hiram Abiff, the master builder of King Solomon's Temple, enacted by Richard Serra" (99).
On the other hand, Brunet points out a view of "depersonalization" or "trauma". She implies that " Memories of trauma are stored, however, in bodily sensations, and it is through the body that the individual can finally retrieve the experience" (107). Barney also portrays throughout his "Cremaster Cycle" a theme of rape. Examples would be his execessive use of vaseline and his reoccuring doctor scenes. The theme of rape could be viewed as a sense of repression and performance art is a physical way to express his emotions.
I believe both options have strong points of view, but freemasonry seems to create more of a sense of understanding of Barney. Throughout multiple points in Brunet's "Homage to Freemasonry or Indictment", she has valid claims that Barney's film could be freemasonry. Perhaps it is not freemasonry by initiation, but his will to seek freemasonry. He journey's through cycles to find Richard Serra at the end and trying to complete the Order. Matthew Barney may not be a Freemason, but it is obvious that he is seeking out the ways and views of freemasonry.
Brunet, Lynn. "Hoamge to Freemasonry or Indictment? The Cremaster Cycle." Project Muse (2009): 98, 99, 107. Web. 28 Apr 2010.
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Personally, I am opposed to a reading of Matthew Barney's "Cremaster Cycle" that holds so firmly to ideas of freemasonry. Such a view, in my eye, greatly decreases the value of Barney's film and lowers the level of imagination that seems to be present throughout. The reason for this is simply that our culture has had our fill of freemasonry. It is referenced so often in pop culture that it has become quite the cliche: In Alan Moore's graphic novel, "From Hell," the Jack the Ripper killings were portrayed as a conspiracy by the Freemasons; there is an episode of the Simpsons dedicated to parodying the Freemasons as an Illuminati-like organization, "The Stonecutters" (I have provided a link); even in the classic cartoons that many of us surely watched in our childhoods, such as "The Flintstones," have the Freemasons been depicted--Fred and Barney were members of "the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes." Should an idea that is so present throughout popular culture, and usually referenced as a joke in that discourse, also be a subject of discussion in high art? In this case, I say no. A few elements referencing it will be fine, but having it as a hidden overall theme is entirely disheartening. If Matthew Barney is simply "seeking out the ways and views of freemasonry" through his film, then I have to condemn him for a lack of originality. No matter the grandeur or surreality of his outfits, if the overall theme is something as stale as freemasonry, I cannot believe he has anything but a shallow imagination, and I would much rather marvel in confusion at this film than idly glance at it, accepting it simply as a giant symbol of Freemasonry.
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