Ron Athey

Quick Facts

Full Name	Ron Athey
Occupation	Artist
Date Of Birth	Dec 16, 1961(1961-12-16)
Age	63
Birthplace	Groton
Country	United States
Birth City	Connecticut
Horoscope	Sagittarius

Ron Athey Biography

Ron Athey is one of the most popular and richest Artist who was born on December 16, 1961 in Groton, Connecticut, United States. Ron Athey, an American performance artist, was born December 16, 1961. He has performed internationally, including in the United States and the UK. Athey’s work explores difficult subjects such as the relationship between sexuality, desire, and trauma. His works often include elements of S&M to challenge preconceived notions about the body and its relationship to religious iconography and masculinity.

Athey was a key figure in the 1994 culture war. Conservative politicians tried to block artwork that contained visible gay or feminist content from being funded by public funds. The controversy surrounding his work was one of a number of battles concerning gay artists, including a lawsuit by the NEA Four (Karen Finley Holly Hughes Tim Miller and John Fleck) and legal battles over the exhibitions of Robert Mapplethorpe’s, David Wojnarowicz and Andres Serrano work. Four Scenes in a Harsh Life was presented at Patrick’s Cabaret in Minneapolis, March 5, 1994 with the support of Walker Art Center. John Killacky, the Walker’s Performing Arts director, recalls that “the sold out performance was well-received by an audience of approximately one hundred.” The 80-person audience was able to engage in thoughtful and informative post- show conversations with the artist. Although theatre and dance critics were invited, none of them chose to attend. One scene of this performance saw Athey make light cuts in Darryl Carlton (stage name DivinityFudge) back. He then placed strips made from absorbent paper towel on the cuts. Then, using a pulley he lifted the blood-stained cloths in the air. Mary Abbe, a local art critic/reporter who had not seen the performance, wrote a news report about complaints regarding the performance. This story was published on the front page in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. According to the report, Kathy Halbreich, Walker’s director, was quoted as well as John Killacky (performing arts director), audience members and Minnesota state officials. According to the Minnesota state health department’s supervisor of the AIDS epidemiology unit, “it didn’t appear that audience members were in danger.” The Associated Press picked up the story and it quickly became a national sensation. It was a combination of widespread anxiety about AIDS and a shock reaction from those not familiar with S&M-related arts: Jesse Helms, a critic, and legislator, falsely claimed that his performances exposed audience members to HIV-infected blood.

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.

Athey has a significant curatorial and programming practice. In 2000 and 2001, he collaborated with Vaginal Davis on a performance-centered queer club night, G.I.M.P. Un-Ltd. These events were staged at a bar in Silver Lake (Zen Sushi) and featured performances by Athey and Davis, as well as John Fleck, Osseus Labyrint, Los Superelegantes, and Kembra Pfahler and The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black. In 2001 and 2002, Athey and Vaginal Davis curated an eighteen- hour performance festival as a part of Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Festival. Staged under the festival’s “Platinum” program, these events featured work by a range of artists, including Bruce LaBruce, Slava Mogutin, Brendan Mullen, JD Samson, Selene Luna, Mehmet Sander, and Glen Meadmore. Athey has collaborated with others (notably Lee Adams) on a curatorial project inspired by the writings of Georges Bataille, Visions of Excess (Birmingham, 2005 and 2008; Ljubljana, 2004; London, 2009). These performance programs have featured such artists such as Franko B, Julie Tolentino, Zackary Drucker, Nicole Blackman, Marisa Carnesky and Kira O’Reilly.

Athey was often criticized for criticizing the NEA, even though the performance in 1994 was only supported indirectly via the Walker Center (via the National Endowment for the Arts) with $150. Athey wasn’t the only one to do this. Performance artists Tim Miller and John Fleck, Karen Finley, Holly Hughes, and Karen Finley would become the NEA Four when they fought for funding for their work in front of the Supreme Court. Athey, unlike other artists, has not applied for federal funding to support his work. However, the public’s perception of Athey’s work was influenced by the controversy surrounding this incident. The artist wrote in a 2015 Artist Op Ed for the Walker Art Center that he was “more-or-less blacklisted” from U.S. venues up until 2005 when he and Snapper staged Judas Cradle, at REDCAT, Los Angeles. He performed Sebastiane in Los Angeles at the Hammer Museum, his first performance within an American museum.

Ron Athey Net Worth

Ron Athey is one of the richest Artist from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Ron Athey 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

Ron Athey’s first work dates back to early 1980s collaborations with Rozz Wilkins. Williams and Athey performed together as “Premature Ejaculation”, staging acts in galleries and clubs, and recording experimental performances and recordings for the camera. Karen Filter photographed their work together and it was published in the 1982 punk magazine No Mag. His most well-known practice is the result of performances he did for Los Angeles clubs like Club Fuck! Sin-a-matic. Martyrs & Saints was his 1992 first major ensemble performance. This was the first in what the artist refers to as his Torture Trilogy. It was followed by 4 Scenes in a Hard Life (1993-1996), and Deliverance (1995). These works were performed in the U.S.A., Mexico, and Europe. He appeared in Sex/Life In L.A. Jochen Haick’s 1998 adult documentary about the sex lives and careers of men who make L.A. adult films.

Athey contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers throughout the 1990s and 2000s. These included Infected Faggot Perspectives (Honcho), Honcho, and the L.A. Weekly. Rick Castro photographed Athey and interviewed him for AnotherMan UK in November 2018. He occasionally teaches performance, most recently at CalArts during 2015-2016 academic years. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

The artist Catherine Opie, whose connections to Athey originate in Los Angeles’s queer club/underground scene, photographed the artist in 1994 as a part of her Portraits series. In 1999, the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS invited Opie to produce a series of works honoring of Ron Athey’s work. Opie and Athey collaborated to produce thirteen images from his performance practice, using the world’s largest Polaroid camera. This series is widely exhibited, including in exhibitions exploring the relationship between photography and performance. Athey (and his former home in Silver Lake Hills) makes a notable appearance as a macabre, cross-dressing mortician in Rick Castro and Bruce LaBruce’s 1996 film Hustler White. His work has also been referenced by mainstream artists. Athey was the art-director for Porno for Pyros’s video for Sadness (1994, remade as A Little Sadness in 2005); including performances by Athey and his company, the video adapts images and looks from his performance Four Scenes in a Harsh Life, including the contentious Human Printing Press scene, in which Athey cuts symbols on the back of company member Divinity Fudge (aka Darryl Carlton). David Bowie appropriated (without permission) aspects of Athey’s performances in the video for The Hearts Filthy Lesson (1995), in which porn performer Bud Hole stages signature piercing actions, and Bowie invoked Athey as an influence for his album 1. Outside (1995), including in the cover notes.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Ron Athey height Not available right now. Ron weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Ron Athey Dating?

According to our records, Ron Athey is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Ron Athey’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Ron Athey. You may help us to build the dating records for Ron Athey!

Facts & Trivia

Ron Ranked on the list of most popular Artist. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Ron Athey celebrates birthday on December 16 of every year.

Top Facts about Ron Athey

1. Ron Athey is an American performance artist.
2. He was born in 1961 in California.
3. Athey’s work explores themes of pain, sexuality, and religion.
4. He gained notoriety for his controversial performances in the 1990s.
5. In 1994, he performed “Four Scenes in a Harsh Life” at the Walker Art Center, which sparked protests and controversy.
6. Athey has been HIV-positive since the early 1980s and often incorporates this into his work.
7. He has collaborated with numerous artists and musicians throughout his career.
8. Athey’s work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries.
9. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2019 for his contributions to contemporary art.
10. Athey continues to create provocative performances that challenge societal norms and expectations.