John Van Hamersveld's upcoming book, 50 Years of Graphic Design, celebrates fifty years of the renowned Los Angeles graphic designer's influential, iconic images as the book forms a visual montage of his work during the time spanning from 1961 to 2011.
A magical and inspirational journey, 50 Years of Graphic Design synthesizes imagery and narrative, revealing the personal experience, creative process, and cultural context of Van Hamersveld's extensive image catalog. In this more than three hundred page book, the magnificent collage of Van Hamersveld's work is consistently beautifully presented. The images are accompanied by contextually relevant writings and by his personal stories as well.
This colorful collage of imagery reveals Van Hamersveld's diverse range of styles and his effective usage of multiple media. His illustration, graphic design, and photography capture and immortalize numerous cultural movements and transformations. The pages brim with instantly recognizable symbols, with powerful imagery that forms and reflects our popular culture.
50 Years of Graphic Design traces Van Hamersveld's work from when he first made a splash into the graphic design world with his iconic "Endless Summer" poster, and the book rides the wave into the current day of his Santa Monica based Coolhous Studio. It includes his experiences designing for the rock n' roll business (the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, and much more), designing for the surf industry (Jimmy'z, Gotcha, Billabong), designing identity and corporate projects (Contempo Casual, Fatburger, Broadway Deli), designing the digital projection "Signs of Life" for the Las Vegas' Fremont Street Experience, and also creating his fine art. The book also illustrates the graphic design industry's transition to digital and depicts the evolution of consumer culture.
In his Foreword to the book, Shepard Fairey describes Van Hamersveld as "an artist who has created several perfect images during his 50-year career." As Van Hamersveld continues his output of work into the new year, classic, unforgettable images are surely still to come.
50 Years of Graphic Design, published by Gingko Press, is expected to become available to the public February 15, 2013. It will be distributed internationally and will be carried in stores such as Amazon.com, Urban Outfitters, and more. For additional information, visit: GingkoPress.com
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