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IDENTIFICATION AND BIO: A performance artist, dancer, writer, and filmmaker, Jeff McMahon has presented work at various venues in New York City, including P.S. 122, Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen, as well as in Europe, Los Angeles and throughout the U.S. His pieces incorporate live and recorded speech, movement and dance. McMahon has taught and published primarily in the New York City area since 1980. His performances in the 1980s and ‘90s often contained oblique and occasionally direct references to HIV/AIDS, specifically in his solos Calling (1988), Discontents (1990) and City of God (1993). McMahon spent 1997-98 working with Brian Webb, a choreographer and performance artist based in Alberta, Canada, on Project Desire: the mountains and the plains. This work—identified by McMahon as treating the subject of AIDS—is described in press materials as exploring “"the fragility of the human body, memory, and the complex nature of desire." In an interview with Pamela Anthony (1998, see below), McMahon's collaborator Webb explained: "At first, I thought this work was about my reaction to AIDS. Now, I think what this is really about is my reaction to growing older, to my own mortality." McMahon holds an MFA from Columbia University's Writing Program. In Fall 2001, he took a position as Resident Artist in Theatre for the Institute for Studies in the Arts, Arizona State University.
KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
Alternate Address (academic year):
HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
HEEL—solo performance at the Intelligent Stage of the Institute for Studies in the Arts, Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), April 2002. Since 1982, McMahon has archived all his major works on videotape at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library, including the following: Believe You Me (1983)—videorecording of solo performance, Performance Space 122, New York. Benefit 1991 (1991)—videorecording including choreographic excerpts performed by Jeff McMahon at Benefit for P.S. 122; videotaped in performance on 2 February; three ¾ in. videocassettes (134 min.); call number MGZIC 9-4734. City of God (1993)—videorecording of solo performance at Dance Theater Workshop, New York (December). Cross Body Ride (1988)—video transfer of Super-8 film shot, directed and edited by J.M. featuring David Zambrano and Donald Fleming. Circle of Lines/Divided Grounds (1987)—videorecording of solo performance. Performance Space 122, New York. Discontents (1990)—videorecording of solo performance. Dance Theater Workshop, New York (March). Dress Up! (1990)—compilation video of Benefit for P.S. 122, including excerpts of Discontents performed and choreographed by Jeff McMahon; videotaped on 4 February at Performance Space 122, New York; three ¾ in. videocassettes (157 min.); call number MGZIC 9-4631. Get Down!: Benefit for Performance Space 122 (1988)—compilation video including Cross Body Ride, a film by Jeff McMahon; three ¾ in. videocassettes (135 min.); call number MGZIC 9-3718. Jeff McMahon and Company (1988)—three pieces by Jeff McMahon: Away From You, Calling, and Perfect Place; music by Charles Nieland; performed by Jeff McMahon and Company on 13 November at Performance Space 122, New York; VHS videocassette (55 min.); call number MGZIA 4-1241. New Stuff (1988)—compilation video including Calling, choreographed and performed by Jeff McMahon; videotaped in performance at Performance Space 122 on 16 April; two ¾ in. videocassettes (97 min.); call number MGZIC 9-4544. New Stuff (1991)—compilation video including Scatter, choreographed and performed by Jeff McMahon; videotaped in performance at Performance Space 122 on 23 March; two ¾ in. videocassettes (86 min.); call number MGZIC 9-4729. Pipedreams: Benefit for Performance Space 122 (1987)—compilation video including excerpts performed and choreographed by Jeff McMahon; videotaped in performance on 6 February at Performance Space 122, New York; three ¾ in. videocassettes (117 min.); call number MGZIC 9-3741. Project Desire: the mountains and the plains (1999)—videorecording of collaborative piece made with Brian Webb. Videotaped in performance at Performance Space 122, New York (May). Rate of Exchange (1982)—videorecording of solo performance, Franklin Furnance, New York. Scatter (1991)—videorecording of solo performance. Jacob Pillow's Dance Festival (August). Tell Me Moving (1986)—video transfer of Super-8 film shot, directed and edited by Jeff McMahon. Featuring Kaja Gam, and John Bernd. Torn Language/Dialogue of Doubt (1992)—videorecording of collaborative performance with Keith Antar Mason and Elia Arce, Dance Theater Workshop, New York. Wired: Benefit for Performance Space 122 (1989)—compilation video including choreographic excerpts of Jeff McMahon's Discontents videotaped in performance at Performance Space 122, New York, on 5 February; three ¾ in. videocassettes (129 min.); call number MGZIC 9-4575.
PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
MOVEMENT NOTATION
PRODUCTION MATERIALS
ORAL HISTORY:
Jeff McMahon interviewed by B. Yost for WFPK-FM, Louisville, Kentucky, September 1995. Jeff McMahon interviewed by Jacki Apple for KPFK-FM, Los Angeles, Calif., 31 August 1993. Jeff McMahon interviewed by Jacki Apple for KPFK-FM's "Soundings" program, Los Angeles, Calif., November 1989. Jeff McMahon interviewed by Jacki Apple for KPFK-FM's "Audio Networks" program, Los Angeles, Calif., 18 October 1983.
PERSONAL PAPERS
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
An accomplished writer, McMahon has been published in The New York Times, New York Newsday, New England Review, Threepenny Review, Movement Research Journal #22, New York Blade News, City Limits, xxx Fruit #3, Performing Arts Journal, Contact Quarterly and Teaching Tolerance. His writing is also featured in the books Culture Wars (New Press, 1992) and The Poor Dancers Almanac (Duke UP, 1993).
LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
From an extensive repertory, these are the works that McMahon identifies as addressing AIDS: Calling (1988)—solo premiered at P.S. 122; text by Jeff McMahon. Discontents (1990)—premiered Dance Theater Workshop, March 7-11; music by Charles Nieland; lighting and visual design by Stan Pressner; slides by Jack Vartoogian and Robert Flynt; taped voices by Jeff McMahon and Paul Zaloom; texts by McMahon. City of God (1994)—premiered Dance Theater Workshop, New York City; solo piece presented by Webb Dance Company in Edmonton; created by Jeff McMahon and Steven Kent; directed by Steven Kent; text/lyrics by Jeff McMahon; music by Charles Nieland. Project Desire: the mountains and the plains (1997)—created and performed by Jeff McMahon and Brian Webb; video by Tim Folkmann; additional film imagery by Jeff McMahon; music by Eyvind Kang; produced by Brian Webb Dance Company; tour began in Edmonton June 1997 for the Jazz City Festival and continued on to Vancouver, Toronto, and New York in May 1999.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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