Channing Hansen

Channing Hansen is an American artist, best known as the son of Bibbe Hansen, brother of musician Beck, grandson of artist Al Hansen and married to The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) Director of Publications Lisa Gabrielle Mark.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Channing Hansen has been involved in art-making from a very early age. As a teenager, he wrote poetry and performed at such landmark LA venues as the Onyx Café, Café Troy, and Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE). In addition, he co-published a ‘zine, Youthless, with his brother, Beck Hansen, and friend Rain Spurlock. Channing was educated at San Francisco Art Institute, where he participated in the New Genres program. Though he works in a range of media—including collage, sculpture, installation, photography, digital media, wood, and textiles (specifically, knitting)—he is perhaps best known for his work in performance.

In 1998, in conjunction with “Playing With Matches,” a touring exhibition featuring the work of his grandfather, Fluxus artist Al Hansen, and his brother Beck, he began performing “Elegy for Fluxus Dead,” a performance created by Al. Channing has performed “Elegy” and “Yoko Ono Piano Drop,” an Al Hansen happening, at venues including Andrea Rosen Gallery and Threadwaxing Space, both New York; Track 16, Santa Monica, California; The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto; the Schloss Moyland Museum, Bedburg-Hau, Germany; the Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, and La Foret, Tokyo. He has also performed his own works at Städt Museum, Cologne, and Mercer Union, Toronto.

Channing’s recent work combines his interest in the history of science and technology with his commitment to hand-craft and has been included in group exhibitions at Solway Jones Gallery and Outpost, both Los Angeles; and Nuit Blanche, Toronto. He is also active as an educator through the Mountain School of Art, Los Angeles, and sporadic knitting workshops.