Projects – OUTPOST NYC DCG

Daniel Johnston Film Screening Weekend at ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES in NYC.

Anthology Film Archives: 32 2^nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003. 212-505-5181
September 20-22, 2025

Songwriter, musician, and artist Daniel Johnston passed away in 2019, but both his music and artwork continue to attract rapturous attention. Johnston is certainly best known as a stunningly prolific songwriter, whose unique, deeply personal, vulnerable, and unapologetically lo-fi songs – most of them initially recorded and distributed on cassette tape – attracted legions of fans despite, or because of, their unpolished textures and their disarming reflections of the mental illness with which he struggled throughout his life. Celebrated both by critics and fellow musicians (most famously Kurt Cobain, but also Jad Fair, Tom Waits, Jeff Tweedy, and many others), Johnston’s music was only one manifestation of his creativity. He was an equally prolific artist, compulsively producing countless drawings that reflected – perhaps even more than his music – his singular preoccupations, highly distinctive set of characters and symbols, and his unique view of the world.

In collaboration with Johnston’s sister, Marjory Johnston, as well as gallerist Deborah M. Colton, owner of Deborah Colton Gallery and OUTPOST NYC DCG.

Anthology Film Archives presents a weekend of screenings of some of the films and videos that have documented Johnston’s life and work, including the acclaimed documentary THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON (2005), the concert film THE ANGEL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON: LIVE AT THE UNION CHAPEL (2008), and a brand-new work, FLAT TIRE DOWN MEMORY LANE (2025), in which filmmaker Avalon Stevens provides a fascinating glimpse of Johnston’s artwork and the collections that he assembled and among which he lived in his home in Waller, Texas, in his final years.

Marjory Johnston, Avalon Stevens and Deborah Colton will be here in person to present the screenings.

Avalon Stevens

FLAT TIRE DOWN MEMORY LANE

2025, 60 min, digital

This newly completed work – made after Johnston’s death – constructs a highly revealing portrait of the artist via interviews with his sister, Marjory (who in his later years collaborated with Daniel on his artwork and continues to advocate for and promote his work), a special focus on his drawings, as well as documentation of his last home, a house in Waller, Texas, which he filled with a truly mind-boggling volume of books, records, VHS tapes, and other collections, all of which serve as a kind of self-portrait of a unique mind and sensibility. Plus, additional clips and excerpts!

Sat, Sept 20 at 5:30 and Sun, Sept 21 at 7:30.

Jeff Feuerzeig

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON

2005, 110 min, 35mm

This acclaimed film – made with the cooperation of Daniel Johnston – is the definitive documentary portrait of the singer-songwriter. Delving deeply and sensitively into Johnston’s extraordinary music, his equally singular and accomplished artwork, and his struggles with mental illness, it’s a profoundly revealing exploration not only of a particular artist and his work, but of the relationship that so often exists between artistic creation and psychological disturbance.

Sat, Sept 20 at 7:30 and Mon, Sept 22 at 7:30.

Antony Crofts

THE ANGEL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON: LIVE AT THE UNION CHAPEL

2008, 65 min, digital

This concert film captures one of Daniel Johnston’s greatest live performances, a July 2007 appearance at London’s Union Chapel. Joined by an impressive array of friends and admirers, including longtime collaborator Brett Hartenbach, Scottish folksinger James Yorkston, and English composer Adem, Daniel delivers definitive renditions of favorites from across his body of work.

Sun, Sept 21 at 5:30.

Noriko and Ushio Shinohara: Cutie and the Boxer in Asbury Park

August 15 to September 22, 2025

“Cutie and the Boxer” Film Screening:
ShowRoom Cinema, 707 Cookman Street, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Friday, August 15^th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, August 17^th at 4:30 pm

Art Exhibition Opening Reception:
Parlor Gallery, 717 Cookman Street, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Saturday, August 16^th from 6:00 to 10:00 pm

Ushio and Noriko Shinohara. Courtesy of Daniel Driensky.

Asbury Park welcomes the internationally acclaimed artist couple, Ushio and Noriko Shinohara to both ShowRoom Cinema and Parlor Gallery on Cookman Street. The artists are represented by Deborah Colton Gallery and this project is in conjunction with OUTPOST NYC DCG. Both artists and Deborah Colton will be present to introduce the film and during the art exhibition’s opening reception.

Born in Tokyo in 1932, Ushio Shinohara (nicknamed “Gyu-chan”), is a Japanese Neo-Dadaist artist who has lived and worked in the United States since 1969. His parents, a tanka poet and Japanese painter, instilled in him a love for artists such as Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin. Known for his boxing paintings, which are artifacts of his performances, Ushio works in several mediums including painting, printmaking, drawing and sculpture.

Ushio’s bright and frequently oversized work has exhibited at prestigious institutions, including the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art; Centre Georges Pompidou; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Japan Society, New York; the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pusa, the Walker Art Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art and at the Tate Modern in London among many others.

Noriko Shinohara was born in 1953 in Takaoka City, Japan, moved to New York in 1972 to study art, and soon met Ushio in 1973. She has worked as an artist for many years, but the work she is best known for is her Cutie and Bullie series that began in 2006. This series includes drawings, paintings, and prints that feature her characters Cutie and Bullie who are based on a semi-autobiographical story of her relationship with Ushio. The scenes inspired by recent events reveal Cutie’s triumphs as her work and worth are finally being realized, by both herself and the outside world. Noriko and Ushio are the featured subjects of the Academy Award nominated documentary that also received an Emmy Award for “Best Documentary,” Cutie and the Boxer, which explores the history of the couple’s often tumultuous marriage and their lives as artists. Noriko’s work has been exhibited frequently in New York, nationally and internationally, and is in many institutional permanent collections, including the Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College. Noriko’s works have been exhibited throughout the United States and world-wide.

ShowRoom Cinema is a small independent theatre that features high-quality first run films, documentaries, Oscar Shorts, classics, and hosts live comedy and musical performances. In a small intimate setting, they are known for providing a variety of entertainment to the art-conscious community.

OUTPOST NYC DCG was established in 2009 as part of Deborah Colton Gallery (DCG). It aims to show new and newly rediscovered films, video and installation art, photography, painting, performance art and drawing and sculpture. OUTPOST NYC DCG is a platform for developing new experimental programing, often in collaboration with existing art venues and organizations, mainly in New York, but also nationally and internationally.

Since 2009, Parlor Gallery has been the heart of artistic and cultural renaissance and revival in Asbury Park, redefining the gallery experience through diverse and thought-provoking exhibitions which combine contemporary urban art with coastal charm. Featuring both emerging and internationally recognized artists, the gallery fosters artistic growth by providing a platform to educate and inspire, and to also bring art outside to public spaces through their collaborative art initiatives like the Wooden Walls Art Project.

Jonas Mekas – 2025 Film Festival

Showroom Cinema at 707 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey
July 17 to July 27, 2025

Salvador Dalí and Jonas Mekas, C. 1964, NYC. Courtesy of Sebastian Mekas.

Jonas Mekas Film Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey will be held at the Showroom Cinema at 707 Cookman Avenue, just one block from the train station. The Film Festival will run from July 17 to July 27, 2025. The Film Festival is in conjunction with OUTPOST NYC DCG. Additionally, Parlor Gallery at 717 Cookman Avenue will be exhibiting Jonas Mekas still-framed photographs and will host a reception on the opening evening of the Film Festival.

Jonas Mekas (1922–2019) was born in a farming village in Lithuania and moved to New York City in 1949 as a war refugee. A pioneering figure in American avant-garde cinema, he co-founded Film Culture magazine with his brother in 1954 and became a film columnist for The Village Voice in 1958. In the early 1960s, he founded the Film-Makers’ Cooperative and the Film-Makers’ Cinematheque, which evolved into Anthology Film Archives, one of the world’s largest repositories of avant-garde film. He published over thirty books of prose and poetry and taught at institutions such as the New School, Cooper Union, NYU, and MIT. His work influenced generations of filmmakers and artists, such as Jim Jarmusch, John Waters, and Chantal Akerman. His films and installations have been exhibited at major institutions worldwide, including the Venice Biennale, Tate Modern, Serpentine Gallery, Whitney Museum, MoMA, and Centre Pompidou.

A selection of films tracing Jonas Mekas’s lifelong engagement with cinema as a form of personal and poetic expression. This retrospective follows his evolution from Guns of the Trees (1961), a politically charged early work, to Walden (1969), which pioneered his diary filmmaking. Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972) and Lost Lost Lost (1976) reflect on exile and belonging, while his portraits of Andy Warhol and Martin Scorsese offer rare insights into their creative processes. The series concludes with As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), a nearly five-hour compilation of Mekas’s home movies spanning three decades, described by The New York Times as “a first—the home movie as epic,” and Sleepless Nights Stories (2011), a film of late-night musings and unguarded moments with Yoko Ono, Björk, Marina Abramović, and other longtime friends. Sebastian Mekas, the son of Jonas Mekas, will be in attendance and will give introductory remarks several evenings.

The programing schedule for the Film Festival is as follows:

Thursday, July 17
Guns of the Trees (1961) – 86 min.

Friday, July 18
Walden (Diaries, Notes, and Sketches) (1968-69) – 180 min.

Saturday, July 19
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972) – 82 min.

Sunday, July 20
Lost Lost Lost (1976) – 178 min.

Thursday, July 24
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol (1990) – 35 min.
Happy Birthday to John (1996) – 24 min.
Zefiro Torna (1992) – 34 min.

Friday, July 25
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000) – 228 min.

Saturday, July 26
Notes on an American Film Director at Work – Martin Scorsese (2005) – 103 min.

Sunday, July 27
Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) – 114 min.

Showroom Cinema is a small independent theatre that features high-quality first run films, documentaries, Oscar Shorts, classics, and hosts live comedy and musical performances. In a small intimate setting, they are known for providing a variety of entertainment to the art-conscious community.

Jonas Mekas Still-Framed artworks will be available during all evenings of the Film Festival and also through www.outpostnycdcg.com

Molly Gochman – UKR|RUS NYC

The Ukrainian Museum, New York, NY
September 26, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Asser Levy Park, Brighton Beach, NY
October 7, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Installation Series: reclaimed wood, concrete, glass, plaster, ground marble

Installation of UKR|RUS at The Ukrainian Museum, New York

Installation of UKR|RUS at Asser Levy Park, Brighton Beach.

UKR|RUS invites us to question the devastating human cost and destruction caused by aggressive imperialism, and to celebrate the resilience of Ukrainians, their rich cultural history, and the future that so many are fighting to defend. Taking the shape of the Ukraine-Russian border as it is defined by Ukraine and recognized by international law, the work draws parallels between physical and metaphorical boundaries, explores the complex dynamics that exist around borders, and provides a space to center and reflect upon the ongoing struggle of Ukraine and its people.

(The decision to use ‘RUS’ in the title “UKR|RUS” is to identify Russia as the aggressor responsible for the war and devastation inflicted upon Ukraine and its people. The title is not to imply any connection or conflation between the two countries but rather to draw a clear line between them, emphasizing Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence. The intention is to acknowledge the Ukrainian people, their country, and their fight against Russian aggression.)

Sharp angles define the sculpture’s linear form, with sections varying in length (from 4 to 10 feet) and height (14 to 28 inches). Constructed using an assemblage of reclaimed wood, rubble, and various types of ground surface materials including marble, UKR|RUS recognizes the scars of conflict while simultaneously suggesting the possibility of rebuilding and healing. In the wake of major geopolitical events and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Gochman’s sculptures serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the suffering of those caught in the crosshairs of imperialism.

UKR|RUS underscores that borders are more than mere cartographic lines; they are tangible divisions that shape communities and lives. In the face of Russian aggression, the Ukrainian border is a manifestation of and container for the unique Ukrainian identity, culture, and history, and a reflection of its sovereignty. By positioning parts of the bench in historically Ukrainian communities across New York City, UKR|RUS will be paired with programming with cultural institutions and organizations that support and exemplify Ukrainian culture.

Amidst the noise that often drowns out the reality of Ukraine’s struggle, UKR|RUS invites pause, reflection, and a deeper engagement with the celebration of Ukrainian identity and culture. Most importantly, it serves as a poignant reminder of the shattered lives and communities left in the wake of territorial aggression, urging viewers to stand in solidarity with those impacted.

Molly Gochman – Dispersed Geographies

Asser Levy Park, Brighton Beach, NY
October 7th – December 31st, 2024
Installation series: cut white vinyl silouehettes adhered to concrete

Courtesy of Molly Gochman. Photographs by Alex Mctigue.

In dialogue with her sculptural series, UKR|RUS, which physically embodies the Ukraine-Russia border using reclaimed materials, Gochman’s Dispersed Geographies offers a contrasting medium. This installation translates the border into a two-dimensional form, cut from white vinyl and placed on sidewalks throughout New York City.

By fragmenting the silhouette of the border into 16-inch wide segments that range from two to five feet long, and situating them primarily in historically Ukrainian neighborhoods like the East Village and Brighton Beach, the work explores interconnectedness across distances and communities. The segments, sometimes mere inches apart, at other times separated by entire blocks, highlight the liminal spaces between places and people. These gaps serve as bridges between the local and global, the individual and the collective.

The sidewalk, a ubiquitous public space that facilitates movement and connection, becomes the canvas for Dispersed Geographies. Transforming this familiar ground into a site of contemplation, the installation prompts viewers to reflect on their own journeys. The border fragments become a shared iconography, points of recognition within the neighborhoods where the white silhouettes reside.

UKR|RUS can be viewed at The Ukrainian Museum from September 26–December 31, 2024; and at Asser Levy Park in Brighton Beach from October 7–December 31, 2024. A series of Programs & Events have been scheduled as a part of these installations. Click here to learn more.

Dispersed Geographies can be viewed at various locations around New York City. For a detailed map of the silhouettes’ locations, a Google Map has been created.

Molly Gochman – Gathering at Governors Island NYC

Gathering
September 7th, 2023
Mixed media installation and performance: canvas, rope, and found objects

Situated at Nolan Park on Governors Island, Gathering is a participatory installation by Molly Gochman that invites us to consider how our actions shape our world. Through public engagement, the work encourages viewers to deepen their connections with each other and with the land on which we all live.

Gathering is composed of more than 200 waxed canvas tarps that appear intricately woven into the grass, outlining the shape of Governors Island before its alteration through excavation and dredging in the early 20th century. Draped in white tarp and fastened with rope, the structure undulates across the landscape, encompassing approximately 13,000 square feet of land. The result is an open environment that encourages participants to engage not only with the work itself, but with each other, through acts of play, collaboration, and even alteration. Throughout the month of September, Gochman will periodically unveil sections of the installation, revealing the mosaics of tarps concealed beneath.

Dancers, knot tyers, meditators, healers, community organizers, and other various participants will also energize the site, extending an invitation to join and collectively enrich our understanding of one another. On these occasions, visitors will be invited to take a tarp with them. As they depart with this canvas, the immense installation’s form will begin to evolve—its outline slowly eroding. The work will take on new meaning through this process, as pieces of it find new homes and purposes. The form of Gathering will eventually disappear, yet the exchanges hosted on the site will generate lasting experiences for all who decide to interact with it, just as the individual tarps that make up the work, distributed among these participants, will move on through the world. It’s a dynamic that reflects Gochman’s long-standing social practice, which focuses on activating spaces to facilitate profound collective experiences.

Story of an Artist – Drawings by Daniel Johnston

July 27 to August 27, 2024

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 27th from 6-10pm

Parlor Gallery

717 Cookman Avenue

Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712

Daniel Johnston, Attention Sir All is Ready, 2005, Ink on Paper, 11 x 8.5 inches

Parlor Gallery proudly presents Story of an Artist, an exhibition celebrating the life and work of Daniel Johnston, running from July 27 to August 27, 2024. Located in the vibrant “Arts Bloc” of Asbury Park, this exhibition pays homage to the prolific, enigmatic American singer-songwriter and artist, who would have turned 63 this year.

Johnston, renowned for his self-released music cassettes and comic-book drawings, gained cult popularity and was endorsed by numerous music celebrities, including Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who famously wore Johnston’s “Hi, How Are You” T-shirt, featuring his iconic artwork “Jeremiah the Innocent.” Johnston also performed with David Bowie and received support from Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, and Sparklehorse, among others.

His artworks have been highly respected, selected for inclusion in the 2006 Whitney Biennial, exhibited in museums, and collected worldwide. The exhibition will feature a combination of the best drawings from two recent national exhibitions of Johnston’s works, I Am A Baby in My Universe and Duck Wars, showcasing his unique characters, dialogue bubbles, and insightful philosophy.

Opening Weekend Activities:

– Special T-shirts, posters, CDs, and books will be available throughout the exhibition.

– The exhibition is in conjunction with OUTPOST NYC DCG, a virtual arts initiative that collaborates with the art estate of Daniel Johnston through his sister, Marjory Johnston.

– Marjory Johnston will attend activities during the opening weekend, available for questions and to provide information about her brother.

– Deborah Colton, Co-Founder of OUTPOST NYC DCG, will also attend.

Johnston’s characters, especially his ever-present ducks, embody his fun-loving, adventurous spirit and his desire to help the world by challenging the forces of evil. These ducks appear in various forms, from cowboys and ancient warriors to superheroes and space travelers. Notably, the ducks as military personnel reflect Johnston’s admiration for his father, William Johnston, a Flying Tiger pilot in World War II.

The Duck Wars exhibition highlights the military adventures of Johnston’s ducks and resonates with current world events. With quirky humor and thought-provoking insights into the nature of war, Johnston’s drawings address its horrors, origins in greed, and its damage to humanity.

Johnston’s work continues to captivate with its childlike wisdom, winning fans and followers globally. His influence extended to popular culture, featuring in The Cutting Edge MTV special about the Austin music scene and attracting the attention of Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, who invited Johnston to perform at his parties in California.

Join us at Parlor Gallery for a heartfelt celebration of Daniel Johnston’s extraordinary artistry and enduring legacy.

Parlor Gallery, located in the heart of Asbury Park’s vibrant “Arts Bloc,” is dedicated to showcasing contemporary art from emerging and established artists. Since its inception, Parlor Gallery has become a cornerstone of the local art scene, providing a platform for artists to present innovative and thought-provoking works. The gallery’s commitment to fostering creativity and artistic expression has made it a beloved destination for art enthusiasts and collectors alike. With a diverse roster of exhibitions and events, Parlor Gallery continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, inviting visitors to explore new perspectives and engage with the art community.

Daniel Johnston – Duck Wars

Daniel Johnston: Duck Wars

February 24, 2024 to April 27th, 2024

Deborah Colton Gallery

Houston, Texas

Artist and songwriter Daniel Johnston created his own imaginary cartoon universe in drawings, which were complete with dialog bubbles and his own uniquely honest and insightful philosophy. Among his cast of created characters are the ever-present ducks. They are the fun-loving good guys who are on the look-out for adventure and ways to help the world. They are always ready to help humanity by challenging the forces of evil and thus protecting love, peace, and especially hope.

The ducks in Johnston’s earliest drawings had wings and webbed feet. As he created more adventures for the ducks they evolved human-like arms and legs. The ducks found their way into Johnston’s drawings as cowboys, ancient warriors, superheroes and even space travelers. The role that was Johnston’s favorite (by far) was ducks as military personnel, complete with uniforms, weapons, and war vehicles of all types. Johnston’s love of all things related to World War II reflects his admiration for his father, William Johnston, who was a Flying Tiger pilot in the war.

The ” Ducks Wars” exhibit is a celebration of the military adventures of the ducks, but it also rings with uncanny relevance considering current world events. Daniel infuses the drawings with quirky humor, but also with thought provoking insights into the nature of war…. its horror, its origins in greed, and its sad results.

Visit Deborah Colton Gallery – Duck Wars to see more works.

Daniel Johnston – I Am a Baby in My Universe

Daniel Johnston: I am a Baby In My Universe

February 17, 2024 to March 16, 2024
Deborah Colton Gallery

Houston, Texas

Daniel Johnston, at a very young age, decided that he wanted to be a comic book artist like Jack Kirby, whose work he admired. He drew constantly, which often caused his teachers to reprimand him for not paying attention. By the time he reached Junior High, his drawing skills were quite advanced… but during those years mental illness appeared in the form of depression.

While he still dreamed of becoming a cartoonist for Marvel Comics, his drawing time became something more. It was a form of self-therapy to help him cope with his depression. It was an escape. In his early twenties his mental illness blossomed into schizophrenia. In spite of this, he continued his daily drawing, producing pieces that give the viewer a glimpse into his journey with mental illness. He created an entire universe of his own, complete with a cast of characters caught up in the eternal battle of good and evil. Some characters were original creations. Others were borrowed from pop culture.

This art exhibit, “I am a Baby in my Universe” is an introduction to the major characters (and some of the minor ones) that inhabit his imagined world. It will display nearly 200 works of art in groupings that will introduce 45 characters showing examples of art pieces in which they are featured. Daniel’s drawings have an undeniable appeal, saturated in a childlike wisdom that has won him fans and followers around the world. The show will also feature a screening room playing the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) as well as a display about the effects of mental illness in Dan’s art.

Jonas Mekas – Images are Real

In Support of The Jonas Mekas Centennial Program – Mekas 100!

“Jonas Mekas – Images are Real”
November 9, 2022 to February 26, 2023
Mattatoio Museum
Rome, Italy

Jonas Mekas 100! – the international program of exhibitions and events
celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Lithuanian-born filmmaker’s birth –
comes to Italy with “Images are Real”, an exhibition and series of events
curated by the duo Francesco Urbano Ragazzi, who have accompanied Mekas on a
number of art projects from Venice to New York, Seoul and Reykjavik.

Promoted by Roma Culture and the Azienda Speciale Palaexpo in partnership
with the Lithuanian Cultural Institute, “Images are Real” is on display in
Pavilion 9b at the Mattatoio di Roma. The exhibition takes a retrospective
look at the sixty year artistic career of Jonas Mekas (born 1922 – 2019)
within a beyond the history of avant-garde cinema. Presenting a broad
selection of works ranging from the 1960’s to the late 2010’s, the project
sets out to explore the Lithuanian filmmaker’s work as a form of resistance
to human brutality, a quest of happiness through which to cope with the
uncertainty of the present.

The title of the exhibition is a quote from the film “Out-takes from the
Life of a Happy Man” in which the artist’s off-screen voice reflects:
“Memory is gone, but the images are here, and the images are real!”.
Celebrating Jonas Mekas’s centenary, therefore, does not just mean
celebrating the memory of a figure who has inspired three generations of
artists and filmmakers, it means also, indeed above all, keeping alive the
perpetual present of a filmmaking practice that is at once both individual
and political.

www.jonasmekas100.com