If you missed “Yo! What Happened to Peace” at the Continental Gallery in Downtown LA you missed out. Artists have a history of disagreeing with their government and the Yo! Show brought them together in force to do just that.

“Yo! What Happened to Peace” is a showcase of political poster and propaganda art all made within the last few years. Mostly themed around America and it’s leaders, the war in Iraq, and the petroleum industry, The Yo! Show provides a forum for political artists and activists. The collection reflects a widely accepted public sentiment of frustration with the government’s lack of transparency and accountability.

The show has traveled to locations all over the world including Milan, Reykjavik, Tokyo, Rome, Chicago, Brussels, and Los Angeles. While there’s no word on when or where the next show will be, you can subscribe to the Yo! What Happened to Peace email list for details. The book for this show is really cool, and the cover includes a stencil your extra curricular activities.
Be sure and check out the photos on out flickr feed to see our view of the show.

Photographer Karel Kuehne’s work is worth a visit. Some of his work makes strong use of dramatic lighting (think Caravaggio). Of particular delight were the images in which models were placed in museum dioramas. You can view images from this and other series on his site.

What happens when you combine the power and form of a grenade with a more practical and friendly object like a fire extinguisher? The result is PinQY, a small yet powerful tool that comes in handy when you have the beginnings of a fire at hand. To boot, its spherical shape gives the same extinguishing capacity as a 1kg extinguisher (see: metric system). Don’t mistake it for a bong though. We’re guessing that could get ugly.

Maptote is the brainchild of fashion stylist Rachel Rheingold and cartographer Michael Berick. After a trip to Europe, they were inspired to create something that reflected their love for travel, maps and design. The cotton totes are silk screened with fun schematic maps of various cites around the U.S. and can be used for carrying groceries or as a cute gift for everyday use. We love them for their green appeal and, at only $12 apiece, they are an inexpensive way to display your pride in the city of your choice. Bags can be ordered directly at www.maptote.com and custom cities are available for purchase.

Ronald Kurniawan has a playful style of illustration which seems to have roots in science fiction. Realistic environments are filled with characters (often letters) in a bright color pallet. The opposition of real versus non-real as well as sinister versus childlike make his pieces a joy to explore. More of his work can be viewed on his site. Ronald studied at Art Center College of Design and still lives in Los Angeles where he provides illustration for a long list of clients.

We are so down with this-

QBN is proud to present, QBN Sessions. A design lecture with an incredible lineup at LA’s most breathtaking venue imaginable. A full day of creative inspiration and discussion followed by cocktails and music with sensational views of the city lights below.

Speakers include:

Shepard Fairey
Joshua Davis
Phunk Studio
Michael C. Place
Michael Muller
Matt Owens
The Mill

Get your tix online here before they sell out. Use the “Email This” link below and round up your crew to represent.

Rikke Hagen and Marianne Britt Jorgensen created these accessories for design lovers on the move. The card holder, key rings, money clip, and pill box bring order and style to modern daily life. Manufactured by Normann Copenhagen and available here. Prices range from $27-50 per item.

Geometric processing (aka proce55ing) is quickly becoming the next boom in high end commercial design. More than 2/3rds of Motion Theory’s extensive catalogue (for lack of a better example) has incorporated processing to date.

The majority of it is in due part to one Robert Hodgins. Personally speaking, there’s a certain level of intent and control over one’s work that’s excessively frustrating.

The design industry’s quickly becoming more about the desire for the unexpected, the random presence, the infestation of imagery that is ever-refreshing and all-inspiring. It doesn’t all have to mean something. So to put a spin on the old saying; think less, experiment more.

The lamps of Jeremy Pyles take reduced organic forms. They are hand blown in Brooklyn and are available in a variety of warm, translucent hues. Even the bulbs have a primitive natural quality to them. Aurora (left) measures 11″ X 4.75″ and is available in five colors for $500 here. Pharos (right) measures 5″ X 12″ and is available in seven colors $325 here.

ROMO is British fabric company which has been around for over 100 years. This series of flocked (textured) wallpapers use traditional patterns in extremely large scale and in some cases vibrant colors. The series is a nice hybrid of old and new. We’re anxiously hoping for a flocked seagulls pattern.