Queer Communion, an exploration of Ron Athey’s career, refuses the linear narratives of art discourse and instead pays homage to the intensities of each mode of his performative practice and each community he engages. Emphasizing the ephemeral and largely uncollectible nature of his work, the book places Athey’s own writing at its center, turning to memoir, memory recall and other modes of retrieval and narration to archive his performances.
The volume features commissioned essays, concise ‘object lessons’ on individual objects in the Athey archive, and short testimonials by friends and collaborators including Dominic Johnson, Amber Musser, Julie Tolentino, Ming Ma, David Getsy, Alpesh Patel and Zackary Drucker, among others.