Q&A with Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens

Collaboration is at the heart of the Roberts Institute of Art. As we continue to learn about what collaboration can be, we have asked a variety of cultural practitioners to discuss the way they live and work with others.

Iconic artists, activists, educators and founders of the ‘ecosex movement’, Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens talk to us about their long collaboration.

How did you come to collaborate?

Beth: Through lust and desire.
Annie: We had our first date 19 years ago. It was love and collaboration at first fuck. Then our love grew and grew and spread to loving our community more.

Beth: Then we started expanding our notion of collaboration by making art with our dog, Bob.

Annie: And our wild white peacock in Boulder Creek, California, whose name is Albert.

Beth: Then our love grew to include loving and collaborating with the whole planet Earth.

Annie: And then the whole Universe. Our love is ginormous! Unstoppable.

Why is collaboration important to you?

Annie: I used to do work about me, me, me. I toured one woman theatre pieces internationally about my life for over a decade. It’s much nicer to do a show with someone else that I can travel with and cuddle with at night.

Beth: Collaboration makes the process of working more layered and interesting. It erases our egos and allows us to make things that are bigger than ourselves.

Annie: Also, there are so many problems in the world that need to be worked on, and we can’t do it alone. I like to say, 'it takes a brothel!'

Beth: The work Annie and I make isn’t Annie’s work or my work, but the work of a third entity and we like that.

Pleasure is central to your work – how do you hold onto pleasure, joy and play when things seem bleak?

Beth: Pleasure and joy are fleeting, so when we have it, we try to nurture it, especially in the face of bleakness.

Annie: Many people are more comfortable with pain and suffering than intense pleasure. We can choose to have more pleasure and joy if we want to. Just say YES! How much ecstasy and bliss can we take? That’s the question. Ecstasy is just a few breaths away. Also, you can bathe sadness, pain, fear in ecstasy and joy. They can co-exist.

Beth: Pleasure is an innate state of being and a birthright. People try and take our rights to pleasure away, especially in our capitalistic or Judeo-Christian society where work for profit are treasured above all else.

Annie: When we have the privilege and luxury of being a happy, joyous, ecstatic person, we must be. Let there be pleasure on Earth and let it begin with me.

Do you have (a) dream collaborator(s)?

Beth: Annie and the Earth are my dream collaborators. I’m also quite interested in the elements; earth, air wind and fire. and we love to collaborate with them too.

Annie: Beth and the Earth are my dream collaborators. However, I’d love to collaborate with Australia’s Great Barrier Reef when its spawning.

How has the pandemic made you rethink relationships?

Beth: The pandemic has made me love and appreciate Annie more, and to cherish my friendships. It has also inspired me to spend less time with people I don’t care about or who don’t appreciate me.

Annie: I’m so grateful I could quarantine with Beth and our dog Butch. But this question reminds me that when we destroy the environment and destroy ecosystems, humans get killer viruses. We humans must stop destroying the environment and love Earth more if we are to survive and thrive...

We are overjoyed to have a new book coming out in a few weeks which we think inspires people to love Earth more, called Assuming the Ecosexual Position- The Earth as Lover. When you’re ecosexual, you’re always in a great relationship!