A large pile of white pillows sits against a background of a large evergreen tree. On top of the pile, a man in a black tank-top is seated and bent forward, apparently asleep.

“cats sleep anywhere” by Brian O’Mahoney. Performed by Aurelien Dougé, Brian O’Mahoney, and Ann Mirjam Vaikla. Photo copyright Martyna Szczęsna. 2016.

A performer in a white tank top sits in front of a table laden with blue food, candy, and beverages in the center of a forest. She is drinking a blue Kool-Aid Burst, spilling it over herself and staining her clothes blue.

“I’d Rather Be Blue” by Brian O’Mahoney. Performed by Irina Duskova. Photo copyright Chloe Bellemere. 2018.

A performer in a pair of black overalls raises their arms triumphantly against a black background, stage lights shining dimly in a semi-circle overhead. The performer is smiling widely and staring upward.

“The Pursuit” by Brian O’Mahoney. Photo copyright Neza Ternik. 2019.

Several shiny silver toasters sit behind multiple stacks of burnt toast. A performer continues toasting, and re-toasting, the slices. Only her hands and torso are visible.

“Every Day is Another” by Brian O’Mahoney. Performed by Irina Duskova. Photo copyright Laura Brichta. 2019.

Background

Brian O’Mahoney has over a decade of experience in fine arts performance. They have a background in clowning, devised theatre, and movement.

They have presented and participated in performances at Art in Odd Places (New York, NY), comedymanifestshow (New Brunswick, NJ), mhProjectny (New York, NY), Newark Open Doors (Newark, NJ), Public Art Fund (New York, NY), Rabbit Hole Studio (Brooklyn, NY), Roodkapje Radicals (Netherlands), SIPMA Contemporary (Branchburg, NJ), Southampton Arts Center (Southampton, NY), Stara Mestna Elektrarna (Ljublana, Slovenia), and The Watermill Center (Water Mill, NY). They have held residencies at The Watermill Center (2013 to 2017) and Performance Art Research Ljubljana (2019). They have worked with and performed for Andrey Bartenev, Charles Chemin, Hermès, Kaimera Productions, Marianna Kavallieratos, Pope L, NoodleRice, Dimitris Papaioannou, Mei Ann Teo, and Robert Wilson, amongst others.

Click here to view O’Mahoney’s artist CV.

Work Samples

“Trance #002” by Brian O’Mahoney. Performed by Rosa Bledsoe. Video copyright Brian O’Mahoney.

A woman in a black tank-top and black shorts sits on a felled tree in the middle of a dense and verdant forest. She gazes upward toward the sky. The sound of static slowly grows as the video progresses.

“The Pursuit” by Brian O’Mahoney. Video copyright Brian O’Mahoney.

A performer in black overalls and a black tank top stands in the middle of a black stage. They raise their arms over their head triumphantly before beginning to spin. As they spin, fall, and get back up, video of the same performer slowly fades in, creating echoes of a body spinning in space. There is no audio.

presented as part of Performance Art Research Ljubljana (PARL) “Works in Progress” presentation. September 10, 2019. The Old Power Station, ELEKTRO LJUBLJANA. www.parl.si

“Dance #001” by Brian O’Mahoney. Video copyright Brian O’Mahoney.

A performer in black shorts and a black t-shirt stands in a grass clearing, with a dense forest behind them. They repeatedly fall backwards or collapse before returning to a standing position. The sound of static slowly grows as the video progresses.