WELCOME TO DANIEL JOHNSTON’S WORLD
Yes, April 2012 has to be declared Daniel Johnston’s month: two large solo exhibitions and the rare occasion to see him performing fills our hearts with nerves and our heads with drawings. It is also a month to celebrate the music of Jad Fair, and so many other musical and magical connections. There is so much to tell, that we will have to split it in two chapters.
Chapter 1. DANIEL JOHNSTON
Tomorrow, April 06, at 18:30, is the opening of the Daniel Johnston’s exhibition at Le lieu unique, in Nantes. A very special concert will take place on Saturday, as Daniel Johnston will be performing at the art center, accompanied by long time collaborator Jad Fair.
Curated in close collaboration with Daniel Johnston, his friends and relatives and the nomadic Arts Factory gallery, the exhibition Welcome to my World! features more than 200 pieces from different collections: original drawings, sketchbooks, archival records, fan mail etc.
A cult artist of the American alternative scene, Daniel Johnston was born in 1961 in Sacramento. Despite his time in art school and an obvious mastery of the piano, Daniel Johnston is often branded as a pop music outsider artist due to the serious psychological problems that disrupted his creative career from his teenage years on.
Hailed by the world of contemporary art with numerous gallery exhibitions, and a notable participation in the 2006 Whitney Musem Biennial in New York, Daniel Johnston’s graphic production is particularly abundant.
This new collection looks back on an oeuvre spanning three decades now, and proposes in counterpoint a total immersion in the artist’s world, mining his vast music catalogue – over 500 songs recorded to date – documentaries, short films and filmed concerts.
This fabulous double line-up has some other dates in France, not to miss.
DANIEL JOHNSTON + JAD FAIR AND GILLES RIEDER
07/04/2012 FR Nantes – Le lieu unique (infos + réservations : www.lelieuunique.com)
08/04/2012 FR Paris – La Gaite lyrique (infos + réservations : www.gaite-lyrique.net)
09/04/2012 FR Poitiers – Le Confort Moderne (infos + réservations : www.confort-moderne.fr)
Also, later this month, another exhibition of Daniel Johnston’s artwork will take place in La Casa Encendida, in Madrid. On this occasion, the works exhibited are part of the personal collection of Jeff Tartakov, Johnston’s ex-manager. Johnston has also a show at the cultural center, and has some other spanish dates.
DANIEL JOHNSTON
18/04/2012 ES Madrid – La casa encendida
19/04/2012 ES Barcelona – Bikini
20/04/2012 ES Valencia – El loco
21/04/2012 ES Valladolid – Laboratorio de las artes
JAD FAIR and NORMAN BLAKE (TEENAGE FANCLUB) will also tour in Spain at the occasion of the Spanish Daniel Johnston exhibition !
10/05/2012 SP Cadiz – Aulario La Bomba
11/05/2012 SP Granada – Planta Baja
12/05/2012 SP Ourense – Cafe Pop Torgal
13/05/2012 SP Madrid – La Casa Encendida
Video : Jad Fair on The Drone – Jad Fair on Fire Records – Jad Fair Website
Jad Fair Europe/UK agent : marie at julietippex.com
