Interview with John Van Hamersveld

From Endless Summer to Infinite Possibilitiesby Laurence Cohen

The “Endless Summer”is a seminal 1966 surf movie. Filmmaker/narrator Bruce Brown follows two surfers, Mike Hynson and Robert August, on a surfing trip around the world. They’re travels to surf spots around the globe blew my teenage mind. As a local LA surfer, it was inspiring and energizing. The artwork for the film’s poster was designed by a young artist, John Van Hamersveld. For many of my friends it was the icon of what it meant to be a serious surfer. We always carried our boards just like Mike and Robert after that! Now 52 years later that same artwork has become a powerful and ageless symbol of what it truly means to be one with the ocean. I want to thank my friend Laurence Cohen for bringing you, the reader this story about one of the most famous artist of his generation. - editor

John Van Hamersveld is an American artist, designer, photographer, professor and author. Growing up in the So Cal surf scene, hippie counterculture and the rock n’ roll world, his impressive body of work reflects all those influences. Now six decades into his career, John Van Hamersveld was asked how he will best be remembered. His two-word response: “Endless Summer.” Created when John was barely in his 20’s, the iconic image of silhouetted surfers walking into a day glow sunset transcends time. Though he was originally paid only $150

for the art, he has negotiated rights in recent years to license the image to more than 300 entities worldwide. It is also featured in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and New York’s Museum of Modern Art. California Governor Jerry Brown recently declared surfing as the state’s official sport and the Endless Summer image as now available as a license plate. In these and so many more ways, 2018 is the year of John Van Hamersveld.

To characterize him as a quintessential California artist is equal parts accurate and dismissive. Given his extensive arts education at Chouinard Art Institute, Art Center College of Design and California Institute of the Arts, he cites Bauhaus, Beaux Arts and Japanese Edo Woodblock works as influences. The time he spent surfing in his formative years also proved to be a formidable influence. At age 21, he landed a job as art director for Surfer magazine. He divided his time between the ocean, the magazine and an art studio in Dana Point. With the “Endless Summer” success, his design sensibilities soon presented him with attractive opportunities with Quicksilver and OP, “the” name brands in surf wear.

downtown Las Vegas entertainment district. He marks the ark of his career in decades. With the creation of large scale murals starting in 2010, he is enjoying the most prolific period of his career. Among the 18 murals he has created are commissions for a downtown L.A. shopping center, a surf museum and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro designed by the legendary Frank Gehry. An exhibition of his recent forays into murals took place at Keller Art Gallery in San Diego.

In 2017/2018, he took on the challenge to create a massive mural transforming a defunct water storage tank into a colorful work of art and an overview of his career. Commissioned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to create a work of art that is 510 feet in circumference! JVH toured the site in a DWP helicopter to get a sense of the job at hand. To tackle the scale of the formidable challenge, he broke it down into 51 visually

Easily moving from art to fashion, he became the creative director of “L.A. Style,” to oversee the revamping of the popular magazine.

Early on, he recognized the power of being an entrepreneur and embracing the business side of being an artist. To that end, he went on to book concerts and create posters for Pinnacle events at the Shrine in Los Angeles. His work captured the attention of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles and he went to design the covers for “Exile on Main Street” and “Magical Mystery Tour.” Though he never did meet with the Beatles regarding the cover design, he did connect with Mick Jagger on several occasions to garner his input. With characteristic candor, he said he prefers meeting with the business interests on any given project. “They are the ultimate decision makers.”

He is one of the rare artists who is equally adept at business. As a result, he has enjoyed a successful career in multiple venues that reflect his ability to adapt and adjust while staying authentic as an artist.

A case in point, he was commissioned in 2009 by the Fremont Street Experience to create a four-minute animation of his images set to music displayed on a three block-long canopy spanning the popular

striking panels ten feet wide and 32 feet tall. Central to the theme of the mural are 15 bright, bold waves and symbols and images reflecting his life experiences and pop culture. Included in the work are personal touches as the VW bug he drove along the coast to El Segundo High and aviation imagery paying homage to his father’s 50-year career in aerospace.

John Van Hamersveld was asked how he will best be remembered. His twoword response: “Endless Summer.”

John is well-aware of the ephemeral nature of outdoor murals. His mural for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles is long gone. With his latest murals, he creates the artwork which is then fabricated and installed by Spin Imaging using colors guaranteed by 3-M for ten years. It is this marriage of art and technology that is at the heart of his creative pursuits

His design sensibilities continue to be on full view in a limited-edition shoe and t-shirt for Vans, skateboard planks and a Malibu tour boat. He also designs surfboards that command five figure bids at charity auctions for a variety of good causes including skin cancer research, Operation Surf Memorial Care Rotary Club Charity Foundation and Moores Cancer Center.

He works seven days a week. His studio overflows with works in progress. On the surface, it looks like a mess which in many ways reflects the chaos inherent

in the creative process. In contrast, his work itself is exacting and precise. He draws with his left hand and refines the images with a mouse in his right hand on computer. When asked if he creates from inspiration or discipline, his one-word answer is telling: “Irony,” which the dictionary defines as “happening in the opposite way of what is expected.” It is this element of surprise that has fostered his career and has presented him with unimaginable options.

In looking forward, his relaxed “we’ll see” attitude leaves him open to a world of possibility. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see airplanes and flying cars featuring John’s colorful designs in the near future.