Ron Athey
| Ron Athey | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 16, 1961 Groton, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Nationality | American (United States) |
| Known for | performance art, body art, experimental theatre, video |
| Notable work | Four Scenes in a Harsh Life (1994), Deliverance (1996), Incorruptible Flesh series (1996-2013), The Solar Anus (1998), Joyce (2002), Judas Cradle (2004) |
Ron Athey (born December 16, 1961) is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally (especially in the UK and Europe). Athey's work explores challenging subjects like the relationships between desire, sexuality and traumatic experience. Many of his works include aspects of S&M in order to confront preconceived ideas about the body in relation to masculinity and religious iconography.
Ron Athey's earliest work dates back to collaborations with Rozz Williams during the early 1980s. Athey and Williams performed as "Premature Ejaculation," staging actions in clubs and galleries and producing experimental recordings and performances for camera. Their work together was photographed by Karen Filter and published in the punk magazine No Mag in 1982. The practice for which he is most known grows from performances developed for club contexts in Los Angeles, such as Club Fuck! and Sin-a-matic. In 1992, he staged his first major ensemble performance, Martyrs & Saints. This is the first of what the artist calls his Torture Trilogy. It was followed by 4 Scenes in a Harsh Life (1993-1996) and Deliverance (1995). These works were performed in the U.S., Mexico and in Europe.
His work has expanded into solo performances, collaborations, and into experimental theatre and opera. Solo performances include Solar Anus (1999),Self-Obliteration solos (2008-2011), a series of performances inspired by St. Sebastian (e.g. Sebastian Suspended, 1999; Sebastiane, 2014). His collaborative performances include the Incorruptible Flesh series, (1996-2013), commenced in collaboration with the late Chicago-based performance artist Lawrence Steger and continued in solo and collaborative installments. His most recent performances, such as Incorruptible Flesh (Messianic Remains) (2013) expand on aspects that define his earlier ensemble and collaborative work. Joyce (2002) is an experimental theatre work which uses projection and live performance to offer a portrait of the women who defined the artist's childhood. He and the artist Juliana Snapper developed Judas Cradle (2004-2005), an experimental opera. In 2010 he initiated a series of works investigating the rituals of spiritualism and Pentecostalism, Gifts of the Spirit.
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