Endless summer

You may not know the name, but John Van Hamersveld’s work is about as recognizable as the rock icons he has portrayed on his posters.

The Beatles. Jimi Hendrix. The Rolling Stones.

He created album covers and posters for them. The most famous among them include “The Magical Mystery Tour,” and “Exile on Main Street.”

But just when he was at the height of his career in the early ’80s he grew disenchanted by the “plastic” nature of the music industry.

“The earlier culture was more of a subculture, it was more of a life culture,” Van Hamersveld said. “Then it turned into a corporate world, and we’re still suffering from it. We still live in this packaged, plastic world.”

So he put his pencils down and walked away.

The Santa Monica resident worked as a design consultant in apparel and architecture for more than two decades until 2005, when he was asked by Eric Clapton’s merchandising manager to create a poster for one of Clapton’s upcoming concerts.

Five hundred posters sold in five minutes. Before Van Hamersveld knew it, his drawing career was on track again.

“A whole world opened up to me that I could actually draw in again,” Van Hamersveld said. “All of a sudden I had gone around the world over this drawing I had done on my table.

“It was the welcome back.”

Van Hamersveld, 66, and his colorful sketches will be on hand Saturday with the opening of his exhibit at The Lab in Costa Mesa to sign his rock and surf posters. The exhibit will stay up through July 20.

Van Hamersveld created his most influential art during the ’60s counter-culture. A California surfer originally from Maryland, he designed the album covers for Kiss’ “Hotter than Hell” and Blondie’s “Eat to the Beat,” and created the DayGlo poster for the 1966 surf documentary “The Endless Summer.”

As Van Hamersveld said, however, his two greatest works were posters drawn for Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane before their 1968 “Pinnacle” concerts at the Shrine Auditorium.

“The Hendrix [poster] is the beginning of my avant-garde drawing style,” Van Hamersveld said. “The [Jefferson Airplane] Indian is really an icon for the hippie culture of its day: the tribe.”

Now that he’s free again to create what he wants, Van Hamersveld has been touring the country with poster signings the last few years. His stop in Costa Mesa is one of many in California.

Though The Lab regularly features emerging artists and students from the area, Van Hamersveld’s gallery is no typical exhibit.

“It’s a special show to have John come in,” said Monet Quick, The Lab’s community development director.

The show was arranged, in part, due to the relationship between Van Hamersveld and The Lab’s owner, Shaheen Sadeghi. The two became friends in the ’80s as they worked in the surf apparel industry.

Gallery hours at The Lab will vary. Private appointments to view Van Hamersveld’s work can be made by e-mailing The Lab at [email protected].

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Lab’s exhibit of posters and album covers by John Van Hamersveld

WHERE: The Lab, 2930 Bristol St., Costa Mesa

WHEN: Van Hamersveld will be signing posters from 7 to 10 Saturday night. The gallery will be open from then until July 20.

COST: free

CALL: (714) 966-6660