Ever since a suicide attempt at age 15, death has been Ron AtheyÕs constant companionÑeven more so since 1985, the year he tested positive for HIV. Until it wasnÕt. Healthy on the 30th anniversary of his diagnosis, the controversial 53-year-old performance artist reflects on the Òpost-AIDSÓ body, the 1994 performance that put him at the center of the Culture Wars firestorm, and his US homecoming after six years abroad.
This pamphlet is published by the Walker Art Center as part of its online Artist Op-Eds series, an ongoing project inviting artists in all disciplines to respond through writing to events in the news. See more at wac.mn/artist-opeds