“The greatest American artist of his generation.” That is how Michael Kimmelman, chief art critic of The New York Times, described the video and performance artist Matthew Barney. You have probably heard of Matthew Barney by now. He was recently the subject of a long and respectful profile in The New Yorker by Calvin Tompkins. The New York Times has been singing his praises for years. In one signature work called “Field Dressing (Orifill),” this great artist is depicted in a video “climbing”—we quote Mr. Kimmelman—“naked up a pole and cables and applying dollops of Vaseline to his orifices.”

If you remain skeptical about Mr. Barney’s achievement, you now have the opportunity to judge for yourself. A “major exhibition” of Mr. Barney’s work (why are all exhibitions these days prefaced by the adjective “major”?) will be ...

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