NY Pop-Up! Basha Gallery is very proud to present a selection of works by the legendary and prolific artist Daniel Johnston. We will be open to the public from 10am–6pm at 41 Division Street through May 4th. All drawings are for sale.
Thank you to Electric Lady Studios and the Daniel Johnston Estate for their generous support.
Daniel Johnston’s Traveling Songs
Daniel Johnston began recording songs onto cassette in 1980 using a Sanyo portable recorder. Most were made alone with a chord organ, piano or acoustic guitar, captured through the built-in microphone. He usually recorded in one take, leaving imperfections intact, tape clicks and background noise included.
Much of this early work happened at home, in his parents’ basement in West Virginia, then his brother’s garage in Katy, Texas and later in small rooms around his new hometown of Austin, Texas. He dubbed copies himself, handed them out locally and left them at record stores. People passed them along, copied them again and mailed them to friends. Over time, that local following began to grow, helped in part by an appearance on MTV’s The Cutting Edge.
Around the same time, Johnston’s mental health began to deteriorate. Hospitalizations came and went in West Virginia and Texas, but the music continued. During the stretches when he was home, he kept recording the same way he always had.
His recordings kept traveling through the mail, through college radio and through fans making copies for people who made more copies. What traveled were songs about love, loneliness, religious faith and the pull between good and evil. The recordings were bare and unpolished.
By the early 1990s, his audience had spread far beyond the local scenes that first carried the tapes. As more musicians and labels took notice, his recordings reached a much wider public. Around this time, Kurt Cobain wore a Daniel Johnston t-shirt at the MTV Video Music Awards, introducing his work to a new generation.
What started on dubbed cassettes became one of the defining catalogs of lo-fi music. Today, his legacy continues through the work of the Hi, How Are You Project.
#stepinsidethishouse
Spread love today wherever you can —thoughtfully and tenderly. Romantic love. Friendly love. Love for your family. Love for strangers. Love for your pets. Love for yourself.
Love is free to do and still so valuable. Do it now xx
Happy Birthday, Daniel Johnston —who would have been 65 years old today. We love you, Daniel. Thank you for your art, your music, and the willingness to share all those big feelings with us. They will last forever and so will our love for you.
Thankful for all the wonderful things in 2025. Happy New Year to you all and thank you for your love and support in Daniel’s memory. We’ll see you in 2026.
Photo by Bruce Malone
Photographer Noah Eberhart shared new photos of Lana Del Rey and Daniel Johnston meeting for the first time in 2015. The pair united at the Los Angeles MAMA Gallery for the premiere of Johnston’s short film, ‘Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston?’
At the premiere, Johnston sat in a mock living room setup while his artwork from 1979–1989 filled the gallery walls. Lana Del Rey described meeting him as a “total fan moment,” admitting she was “turning bright red from nervous excitement” when she first saw him.
Lana, Mac Miller, and hundreds of others backed the project’s crowdfunding campaign after connecting deeply with Johnston’s music and struggles. Lana additionally contributed to a cover of Johnston’s song “Some Things Last a Long Time” for the film’s credits (slide 17). The 15-minute piece features Johnston playing himself in conversation with a younger version portrayed by director Gabriel Sunday, creating a surreal meditation on mental illness and creativity.
RG @pigsandplans
Thank you @enemypixels for sharing these moments! 📸
DANIEL JOHNSTON. Me da miedo lo que podría dibujar. Un viaje al corazón del arte más puro, frágil y brillante.
El universo visual de Daniel Johnston, el genio outsider que inspiró a Kurt Cobain y a generaciones enteras.
📖 Este libro-joya editado por Liburuak recorre cuatro décadas de dibujos, diarios y delirios llenos de emoción.
Arte, música y locura en su forma más humana.
Una edición de lujo que no solo muestra su obra, sino que apoya la salud mental a través del proyecto Hi, How Are You Project.
✨ Descubre al artista que convirtió sus demonios en belleza.
💭 Porque a veces el miedo es solo otra forma de arte.
Disponible en librerías y en
#DanielJohnston #MeDaMiedoLoQuePodríaDibujar #ArteOutsider #HiHowAreYou #LibrosQueInspiran #SaludMental #CulturaPop
Lee Foster of Electric Lady Studios during the making of Daniel Johnston: I’m Afraid of What I Might Draw —the landmark new monograph from Rizzoli Publishing honoring Daniel’s visual art.
