Peter Bjorn and John showing off their latest album art. (Raunak Khosla)

The exhibition, named "Gimme Some" after the band’s latest record, features album artwork for every song. The event was held at THIS, a popular gallery in downtown LA. There were also performances and DJ sets by the band and Victoria Bergsman.

The artwork for "Gimme Some" is not your average album artwork. It is its own thing. As soon as you enter the exhibit, you are overwhelmed by surreal images of severed hands making thumbs-ups in curious ways, representing the ideas and sentiments behind each of the songs. Because it is a fast-paced, feisty album, you cannot expect not to be shocked with every other piece of artwork. In one particularly striking piece, the hand had been completely shattered to pieces which is obviously  a knock towards “Breaker Breaker,” a song about reacting not-so-well to heartbreak.

According to lead vocals Peter Morén, the images of three-thumbed hands colored in a pop-arty palette, reflected the punk attitude and the in-your-face feeling of pop music that they were trying to convey. The work was presented in a bold, simple, yet funky style and reveals the dark humor behind the band’s music. Each piece was individually silk-screened on several layers of acrylic, and presented in a standalone setting, in bare glass frames. Each of the twelve pieces is currently up for sale.

Music was an integral part of the event. The DJ table at the front of the gallery was run by John Eriksson and Victoria Bergsman. The band also gave a small performance – they called it their “shortest concert.” An after-party was also hosted by Dance Right at La Cita Club for those wanting to hang out and party with the band.

The band's "shortest concert ever"

Peter Bjorn and John have really proved to be an artistic powerhouse. They have an edgy, experimental sense of making music, as one can see from their frequent shifts in style and technique. Jonas Torvestig is equally known for his investigational involvement with the art and music scenes, dabbling in things ranging from art books to a pair of Hyde’s Spectacle shades, and focusing mostly on the aesthetic side of communication. When Jonas came up with the idea of the blue three-thumbed hand, the band immediately saw it as an icon-like symbol for the album: positive in its funkiness, but with dark undercurrents of melancholy and bitterness. 

Viewing the art, you can see that they truly have struck a connection. For example, the artwork for the song “Lies” shows a severed hand with three thumbs, but with two of the thumbs crossing each other. And listening to the actual song at the gallery, you cannot help but feel connected with the art – perhaps the reason why the little gallery was flooded with art enthusiasts and fans within minutes of the opening. The crowd was energetic and responsive, with much praise for the unique blend of music and art at the event.

 “It’s really well done," Stephanie Gonot, a regular patron of THIS Gallery, said. "I think it’s cool that two different art forms are converging, because they usually stay separate. It’s also good that the exhibition is touring, because it’s mostly just bands that do that.”

The exhibition has had similar success in major galleries in New York and Chicago. A fan ever since he purchased their first CD, Mikailihh Lai was extremely happy he got to meet the band, listen to their music and view the unique artwork. 

Peter was also happy with the response, saying, “The image of the cut-off hand suits the poppy three dimensional image that we are trying to convey. And with the kind of response we have got with the show, I think we have got the message across quite effectively.”

Although the exhibition may be a bit brief for regular visitors, it is a must see for fans of the band, Jonas Torvestig, and for people interested in the combination of art, music and media scenes.

Reach Reporter Raunak Khosla here.