AA Bronson lives and works in Berlin. In 1969 he formed the artists’ group General Idea with Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal; for 25 years they lived and worked together to produce the living artwork of being together, with over 100 solo exhibitions, and countless group shows and temporary public art projects. They were known for their magazine FILE (1972-1989), their production of low-cost multiples, and their early involvement in punk, queer theory, and AIDS activism.

Since his partners died in 1994, AA has worked and exhibited as a solo artist, often collaborating with younger generations. Since 1999 he has worked as a healer, an identity that he has also incorporated into his artwork. From 2004 to 2010 he was the Director of Printed Matter, Inc. in New York City, founding the annual NY Art Book Fair in 2005. In 2009 he founded the Institute for Art, Religion, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In 2013 he was the founding Director of Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair. He has taught at UCLA, the University of Toronto, and the Yale School of Art.

AA Bronson holds many awards and honorary doctorates. In 2008 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2011 he was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.