About Al Earl (Alfred) Hansen

Name variants

Al Hanson
  • Biography

    Alfred Earl "Al" Hansen (5 October 1927 - 22 June 1995) was a Norwegian-American artist considered as one of the most important Fluxus* figures. He was a Norwegian American.

    Born in New York City, he was a member of the Fluxus art movement and friend to Yoko Ono and John Cage. While serving in Germany in World War II, Hansen pushed a piano off the roof of a five story building. This act became the foundation of one of his most recognized performance* pieces, the Yoko Ono Piano Drop and inspired artists such as Nam June Paik.

    Hansen was a frequent visitor to The Factory, Andy Warhol's studio in New York. Hansen also studied with and worked with the composer John Cage at the New School for Social Research* in New York Cit...

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