Alfred Earl "Al" Hansen (5 October 1927 – 20 June 1995)[1] was an American artist. He was a member of Fluxus, a movement that originated on an artists' collective around George Maciunas.
He was the father of Andy Warhol protégé Bibbe Hansen[2] and the grandfather and artistic mentor of rock musician Beck and artist Channing Hansen. Bibbe and Channing continue his legacy by performing some of his most iconic works.[3]
Hansen was born in 1927 in New York City, to a family of Norwegian heritage. He was a friend to several notable artists, including Yoko Ono[4] and John Cage. Hansen served in Germany during World War II. During his service, Hansen once pushed a piano off the roof of a five-story building, which became the foundation of one of his most recognized performance pieces, the Yoko Ono Piano Drop. Many artists have also destroyed or altered pianos including John Cage, Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik[5] and Raphael Montañez Ortiz.
Amazone 3/9 in Cologne, Germany
Hansen studied with composer John Cage at the now famous 1958 Composition Class at the New School for Social Research in New York City along with fellow students, Dick Higgins, George Brecht, and Allan Kaprow amongst others.[6] Hansen was a frequent visitor to The Factory, Andy Warhol's studio in New York.[7] Hansen was perhaps best known for his performance pieces, his participation in Happenings, and for his collages in which he often used cigarette butts and candy bar wrappers as the raw materials, among them numerous variations of a sculpture referring to the Venus of Willendorf.[8]
He wrote an important book about performance art, A Primer of Happenings and Time Space Art published by Something Else Press in 1965.[9]
In 1966 he attended the Destruction in Art Symposium in London organized by Gustav Metzger,[10] where he met and befriended many of the Viennese Action Artists. In October 1966 Otto Muhl organized an event called "Action Concert for Al Hansen" in Vienna.[11]
He was an art professor at Rutgers College in Newark, New Jersey, into the 1970s.
In 1977 Hansen managed Los Angeles punk bands the Controllers and the Screamers in Hollywood. In the 1980s Hansen moved to Cologne, Germany, where he and colleague Lisa Cieslik [12] established an art school, the Ultimate Akademie. Inspired among others by the Final Academy of Genesis P-Orridge it became a meeting point for local and international performers of the time-based arts.
He died in Cologne, Germany, in 1995, with a number of friends celebrating a Fluxus funeral according to his plan.[citation needed]
Yayoi Kusama's Yokohama Hammock 1963, Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien Vienna.[17]
Referencesedit
René Block, Gabriele Knapstein: 'A long story with many knots. Fluxus in Germany 1962–1994.' (Eine lange Geschichte mit vielen Knoten. Fluxus in deutschland.) Institute for foreign relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), Stuttgart, Germany, 1995
^Roberta Smith (27 June 1995). "Al Hansen, 67, Artist Who Created Happenings". The New York Times. p. D21.
^Alexander Cavaluzzo, "Our real art is our interaction with the world", 17 Nov 2011
^David Velasco, "Total Bequest Live", Artforum, April 28, 2006
^Ethan Smith "Beck and Yoko Ono sound off on found art, family ties, and flying pianos" 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, New York Magazine Sept 1, 1998
Maciunas on Fluxus and Hansen's part therein, George Maciunas's Seattle Interview
January 01, 1970
hansen, alfred, earl, hansen, october, 1927, june, 1995, american, artist, member, fluxus, movement, that, originated, artists, collective, around, george, maciunas, 1994, franciscoborn, 1927, october, 1927new, york, city, sdied20, june, 1995, 1995, aged, colo. Alfred Earl Al Hansen 5 October 1927 20 June 1995 1 was an American artist He was a member of Fluxus a movement that originated on an artists collective around George Maciunas Al HansenAl Hansen 1994 in San FranciscoBorn 1927 10 05 5 October 1927New York City U SDied20 June 1995 1995 06 20 aged 67 Cologne GermanyNationalityAmerican He was the father of Andy Warhol protege Bibbe Hansen 2 and the grandfather and artistic mentor of rock musician Beck and artist Channing Hansen Bibbe and Channing continue his legacy by performing some of his most iconic works 3 Contents 1 Biography 2 Notable collections 3 References 4 External linksBiography editHansen was born in 1927 in New York City to a family of Norwegian heritage He was a friend to several notable artists including Yoko Ono 4 and John Cage Hansen served in Germany during World War II During his service Hansen once pushed a piano off the roof of a five story building which became the foundation of one of his most recognized performance pieces the Yoko Ono Piano Drop Many artists have also destroyed or altered pianos including John Cage Joseph Beuys Nam June Paik 5 and Raphael Montanez Ortiz nbsp Amazone 3 9 in Cologne Germany Hansen studied with composer John Cage at the now famous 1958 Composition Class at the New School for Social Research in New York City along with fellow students Dick Higgins George Brecht and Allan Kaprow amongst others 6 Hansen was a frequent visitor to The Factory Andy Warhol s studio in New York 7 Hansen was perhaps best known for his performance pieces his participation in Happenings and for his collages in which he often used cigarette butts and candy bar wrappers as the raw materials among them numerous variations of a sculpture referring to the Venus of Willendorf 8 He wrote an important book about performance art A Primer of Happenings and Time Space Art published by Something Else Press in 1965 9 In 1966 he attended the Destruction in Art Symposium in London organized by Gustav Metzger 10 where he met and befriended many of the Viennese Action Artists In October 1966 Otto Muhl organized an event called Action Concert for Al Hansen in Vienna 11 He was an art professor at Rutgers College in Newark New Jersey into the 1970s In 1977 Hansen managed Los Angeles punk bands the Controllers and the Screamers in Hollywood In the 1980s Hansen moved to Cologne Germany where he and colleague Lisa Cieslik 12 established an art school the Ultimate Akademie Inspired among others by the Final Academy of Genesis P Orridge it became a meeting point for local and international performers of the time based arts He died in Cologne Germany in 1995 with a number of friends celebrating a Fluxus funeral according to his plan citation needed Notable collections editArchivio Conz Francesco Conz s Collection Yes She He c 1962 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Washington D C 13 Coco Was a Poco Loco about Cacao and Men 1968 MoMA New York NY 14 John Cage Word Opera 1972 1076 Walker Art Center Minneapolis MN 15 Amazone Venus 3 9 1994 Kolnisches Stadtmuseum 16 Yayoi Kusama s Yokohama Hammock 1963 Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien Vienna 17 References editRene Block Gabriele Knapstein A long story with many knots Fluxus in Germany 1962 1994 Eine lange Geschichte mit vielen Knoten Fluxus in deutschland Institute for foreign relations Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen Stuttgart Germany 1995 Roberta Smith 27 June 1995 Al Hansen 67 Artist Who Created Happenings The New York Times p D21 Alexander Cavaluzzo Our real art is our interaction with the world 17 Nov 2011 David Velasco Total Bequest Live Artforum April 28 2006 Ethan Smith Beck and Yoko Ono sound off on found art family ties and flying pianos Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine New York Magazine Sept 1 1998 Museum Zero Joseph Jacobs La Clase de Cage Archived 10 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Jesse Kornbluth New York Magazine 9 March 1987 Wayne Baerwaldt 1 Beck and Al Hansen Playing With Matches Smart Art Press 1998 Steve Clay Something Else Press Exploring the Ways and Means of Communication Fluxus Heidelberg Center BLOG 25 June 2009 Gustav Metzger Auto Destructive Art mumok Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien Gomm Barbara October 1987 Kolner Express Yes She He c 1962 Collection Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Retrieved 16 January 2013 The Collection MoMA New York NY Walker Art Center Minneapolis MN Kolnisches Stadtmuseum mumok Museum Moderner Kunst External links editAl Hansen website designboom Al Hansen Maciunas on Fluxus and Hansen s part therein George Maciunas s Seattle Interview Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Al Hansen amp oldid 1195428490, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
