Ron, born in Groton, Connecticut, 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 uses his body to explore controversial subject matters such as the relationships between desire, sexuality, and traumatic experience.

Many of his works include aspects of S&M in order to confront pre-conceived ideas about the body in relation to masculinity and religious iconography. Athey's emphasis on sexuality, HIV and queer practice made him a target of criticism in the 1990s.

During the 1990s the fact that Athey had received $150 of financial support for his work from the National Endowment for the Arts for his 1994 performance at the Walker Art Center, his name was frequently raised alongside criticism of the NEA. Athey was criticized along with other artists including Andres Serrano, Robert Mapplethorpe, Karen Finley, and Holly Hughes. In many ways, this notoriety continues to shape public perception of his work, and he has not since been the recipient of public funding in the United States.

Athey's work frequently explores religious subjects. For example, Athey concluded his 2005 operatic performance Judas Cradle by speaking in tongues, and his theatrical multi-media performance Joyce unpacks the feverish environment of his religious upbringing, and he has staged himself as a modern era St. Sebastian for the photographer Catherine Opie. Athey's performance Solar Anus refers directly to one of Bataille's essays, and in 2002 Athey curated an endurance/performance festival inspired by Pasolini's work. The Solar Anus performance is included as part of Athey's starring role in the Danish feature film HotMen CoolBoyz (2000), directed by Knud Vesterskov and produced by Lars von Trier's company Zentropa. The film was nominated for five GayVN Awards, including a Best Solo Performance nomination for Ron Athey.

He has also, with Vaginal Davis, curated performance art festivals in the U.S. and in Europe. These include Platinum Oasis (Los Angeles), Visions of Excess I (Birmingham, UK) and II (Ljubljana, Slovenia). A further co-curated event, Re-Visions of Excess, with Lee Adams, was presented in Birmingham in 2007.

Athey has been a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers including Honcho and the L.A. Weekly, and occasionally teaches performance studies. He lives in Los Angeles