Jby Van Hamersveld, the iconic graphic artist known for designing record covers for pop and psychedelic bands since the 1960s, is now making waves in digital art. His latest NFT drop features a captivating collection of AI-generated graphics inspired by iconic 1960s album designs.
Van Hamersveld’s contributions as an illustrator and graphic designer and his willingness to embrace changing trends and technologies continued to captivate the public and cement his well-deserved place in art history. Just as he embraced art creation from the earliest days of the Apple computer prototype, his exploration of AI image creation represents the latest expansion of his creative repertoire.
Hamersveld sat with nft now for an exclusive look at his latest collection ‘Byzaro Record Shop’, in collaboration with concept producer Coldieartist Rafael Torresand studio Sovrn Art.
Who is John Van Hamersveld?
John Van Hamersveld is a legendary illustrator and graphic designer known for his poster work, including the Day-Glo poster for Bruce Brown’s 1966 film “The Endless Summer”. During his illustrious career, he has also created around 300 album covers for various well-known names in the music industry, leaving an indelible mark on art and surf culture. His ability to capture the essence of music through visual artistry solidifies his position as one of the most celebrated designers in the music world. Some notable examples include The Beatles’ Magic Mystery Tour and Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street.
Van Hamersveld first entered Web3 through Coldie, who took him on board in 2020 after meeting through Shelley Leopold and Kitty Bunglalow’s ‘Buy Art Save Kittens’. Since then, Coldie and Van Hamersveld have collaborated on other NFT collections, including their ASYNC collaboration, ‘The Unfolding Dream’ and now ‘Byzaro’. Coldie has also produced successful drops for Van Hamersveld on SuperRare, ASYNC, Nifty Gateways and Makers Place.
Inside the ‘Byzaro record store’
Byzaro Records presents a captivating collection of 100 AI-generated images inspired by iconic album designs from the 1960s. This series represents a remarkable extension of John Van Hemersveld’s illustrious career in album design, using AI technology to usher in a dramatic evolution of truly iconic artworks.
Each piece is a unique 1/1 creation, meticulously preserving the original artistic process while embracing the vast technological advancements of the past 60+ years.
“What we did is that it drove us crazy,” laughs Van Hemersveld. “We made these wild-looking covers, 100 of them.”
Coldie shares that the process was collaborative, a back-and-forth process with Van Hamersveld approving each cover and providing input. He went on to say that the artwork aims to capture the essence of being in a record store in an alternate dimension.
“They’re weird, but normal for the dimension it is. There’s a story about absurdity and going to other worlds, and that’s what AI is.”
Jan van Hamersveld
The titles of each piece are also AI-generated, along with the bizarre depiction of hands, celebrated as dog-eared in the history books of AI art. This is Van Hemersveld’s first AI drop and largest collection of 1/1s. The public drop will take place on August 10 with a live link on its official tweet.
Utility for previous holders
Holders of John’s previous drops will receive an admission list to Bizarro Records, and holders of his previous 1/1s will receive a spot for one free mint on August 9. The public sale price is 0.1 ETH until the collection is sold out. Original purchasers of a Bizarro Records cover art are eligible for one redemption of their corresponding print. These are numbered and signed by John Van Hamersveld.
Building a bridge between traditional and contemporary audiences
With a vast body of work that has amassed countless collectors, John Van Hamersveld stands as a pioneer whose influence spans both the physical and digital worlds. His extensive portfolio has made him a household name among traditional art enthusiasts, while his foray into the digital world is rapidly expanding.
As Coldie aptly summarized, “Collectors already know him in the physical world and soon hear about him in the digital world – he’s a living legend.”