Ron Athey

Ron Athey
Born (1961-12-16) 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" (1996), 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.[1] [2] 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.[3]

Life and work

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. 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 and into experimental theater and opera. Solo performances such "Solar Anus" (1999), "Self-Obliteration" solos (2008-2011), and a series of performances inspired by St. Sebastian (e.g. "Sebastian Suspended," 1999; Sebastiane, 2014) expand on aspects defining his earlier ensemble work (especially in the use of his own body). "Joyce" (2002) is an experimental theater 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), an experimental opera. In 2010 he initiated a series of works investigating the rituals of spiritualism and Pentecostalism, "Gifts of the Spirit."[4]

The first book dedicated to Athey and his work, Pleading in the Blood: The Art and Performance of Ron Athey edited by Dominic Johnson, was published in 2013 by the Live Art Development Agency and Intellect.[5] It includes writing about his work by major artists including Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Antony Hegarty, Robert Wilson, Lydia Lunch and Bruce LaBruce, and essays by scholars such as Amelia Jones, Jennifer Doyle, Homi K. Bhabha and others.

Through the 1990s and 2000s, Athey was a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers including Infected Faggot, Honcho and the L.A. Weekly. He occasionally teaches performance (most recently, at CalArts during the 2015-2016 academic year). He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

NEA controversy

In 1994 Athey became the subject of controversy concerning the use of federal funds to support art work with visible gay content. Excerpts from Four Scenes in a Harsh Life were staged at Patrick's Cabaret in Minneapolis on March 5, 1994, with support from Walker Art Center. The Walker's Performing Arts Director, John Killacky remembers that "the sold-out performance was well received by an audience of about one hundred. Post-show discussions with the artist, attended by 80 people, were thoughtful and engaging. Theatre and dance critics had been invited, none chose to attend."[6] During one scene in this performance, Athey made light cuts in co-performer Darryl Carlton's (stage name Divinity Fudge) back, placed strips of absorbent paper towel on the cuts and then, using a pulley, hoisted the blood-stained cloths into the air. Local art critic/reporter Mary Abbe (who had not witnessed the performance) wrote a news account of complaints concerning the performance; this story appeared on the front page of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.[7] The performance was partially sponsored by the Walker Art Center. The report quoted the Walker's director Kathy Halbreich and performing arts director John Killacky, audience members, and Minnesota state health officials. The supervisor of the AIDS epidemiology unit in Minnesota's state health department said that "it did not appear that audience members were endangered."[8] In response to the health complaints, a health department staff member contacted the Walker and was given a memo outlining medical safety precautions that it had taken. That story was picked up by the Associated Press and quickly made national headlines. The then-widespread anxiety about AIDS combined with a shocked reaction from those unfamiliar with S&M-related art: some critics and lawmakers, including Jesse Helms, falsely described his performances as exposing audience members to HIV-infected blood.[9]

Although this 1994 performance was supported only indirectly (via the Walker Center) by $150 from the National Endowment for the Arts, Athey's name was frequently invoked in criticism of the NEA. Athey was not alone in this: performance artists Tim Miller, John Fleck, Karen Finley and Holly Hughes would later become the NEA Four as they fought a case regarding funding for their work before the Supreme Court. Unlike these other artists, Athey has never applied for federal funds to support his work. Nevertheless the controversy over this incident continues to shape public perception of his work.[10] He was, the artist writes, "more or less blacklisted" from U.S. arts venues until 2005, when he and Snapper staged "Judas Cradle" at REDCAT in Los Angeles.[11] His 2014 performance of "Sebastiane" at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles was his first performance inside an American museum.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Amelia Abraham, "Ron Athey Literally Bleeds for his Art," Vice 24 September, 2014
  2. ↑ Mary Richards, "Ronald Athey, AIDS and the Politics of Pain" from Body, Space and Technology, 3.2 (2003)
  3. ↑ Kateri Butler, "Ron Athey: In Extremis and In My Life," Los Angeles Times 28 January 2007
  4. ↑ Dominic Johnson, "Introduction: Towards a Moral and Just Psychopathology," Pleading in the Blood: The Art and Performances of Ron Athey. Live Art Development Agency and Intellect, 2013. 10-40.
  5. ↑ http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/books/view-Book,id=5055/
  6. ↑ John Killacky, "Blood Sacrifice," Flynn Center Blog, 2 January 2014
  7. ↑ "Bloody performance draws criticism: Walker member complains to public health officials," Mary Abbe, Minneapolis Star Tribune March 24, 1994 page 1A
  8. ↑ "Bloody performance draws criticism: Walker member complains to public health officials," Mary Abbe, Minneapolis Star Tribune March 24, 1994 page 1A
  9. ↑ William Grimes, "For Endowment, One Performer Means Trouble," New York Times 7 July, 1994
  10. ↑ Kateri Butler, "Ron Athey: In Extremis and In My Life," Los Angeles Times 28 January 2007
  11. ↑ Ron Athey, "Polemic of Blood: Ron Athey on the Post-AIDS Body, Walker Art Magazine, 19 March, 2015
  12. ↑ Abe Ahn, "The Redemption of Ron Athey," Hyperallergic 20 March 2014

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.