Ron Athey: An Interview

In this interview, extreme performance artist and 1990s culture warrior Ron Athey (b.1961) discusses the genesis of his provocative performance style and the memories and desires that continue to motivate his practice. Athey describes how his particular approach to performance developed dually from his religious upbringing and exposure to devotional theater, as well as from his later interest in the DIY grandiosity of the Los Angeles punk scene.

Athey shares how the urgency and assertive presence of these two worlds informed his later involvement in queer culture and the global body modification scene. Athey concludes by describing his relationship to his audiences, focusing on the ways in which intimacy and control are circulated and exchanged. –Kyle Riley

Interview conducted by David Getsy in February 2014.