bio

 

Bibbe Hansen, born in New York City, 1953, to Fluxus artist Al Hansen and actress Audrey Hansen, began performing professionally at age eleven playing leading child and ingenue roles in prestigious east coast summer stock companies. In New York City, concurrently, she regularly performed in her father's avant-garde theater pieces called "Happenings" and participated in the presentations of his contemporaries at such historical venues as La Mama, Circle in the Square and Judson Church. She studied dance with Phoebe Neville and Lucinda Childs, sang in an Elizabethan music group and was filmed by underground cinema champion Jonas Mekas.

 

A chance meeting with a record producer at age 13, led to her recording a single for Laurie records with her friends Janet Kerouac (daughter of Jack) and Charlotte Rosenthal. They were called "The Whippets" and their hastily recorded single hit the pop charts in Canada.

 

After a stint as a delinquent street kid, runaway and truant she became a "guest" of the State of New York at the infamous Spofford Street Youth House and several other NY institutions for child criminals where she was able to refine her survival skills and work on her freestyle group dancing techniques.

 

Directly following her release, Bibbe met Andy Warhol who suggested they collaborate on a film about her recent experiences. The film was called Prison and stars Bibbe Hansen, Marie Mencken and Edie Sedgwick. Bibbe also made three other films with Warhol and danced briefly with the Velvet Underground.

 

A random late-60's sojourn brought Bibbe to Los Angeles where she founded a theater company, acted in "B" movies and participated in the local punk scene as musician, and documenteur. She is the mother of three wonderful children, Beck, Channing and Rain; a pop musician, fine artist and poet respectively. From 1990 -1995 she operated Troy Cafe. The café became the center of a multicultural renaissance in downtown Los Angeles and was home to a generation of musicians, comedians, artists and filmmakers.

 

Following the death of Al Hansen in 1995, Bibbe and husband Sean Carrillo created the Al Hansen Archive, and continued exhibitions of her father's work, while performing and lecturing at museums, galleries and universities around the world.

 

Today Bibbe creates artwork and is represented by Gracie Mansion Gallery in New York City. She recently completed the first draft of her memoirs and she lectures frequently on art and the creative process.