The Geography effect

Ralph Lemon is an African American multidisciplinary artist, founder of the Ralph Lemon Dance Company (1985-1995), and one of the most significant figures to emerge from New York’s postmodern performance scene. He has been known for his multifaceted practice, pushing the boundaries of performance to include installation art, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film and video. He is the author of The Geography Trilogy, (1997, 2000 and 2004), a three-part compendium of performances, writings, scores, drawings, and photographs surveying three continents and addressing history, race, and the power of memory.

As part of my research for this essay, I had the privilege of attending rehearsals for “Tree,” the second part of The Geography Trilogy, and of interviewing Ralph Lemon and his collaborators on several occasions.