Beans [Original Album Cover Art]

[Avalanche Records], 1971. A rare example of original album cover art by one of the legends of the medium. John Van Hamersveld (b. Baltimore, 1941) designed the iconic poster for the surf film Endless Summer while still in art school. As a professional graphic designer he did the album covers for The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St, plus LPs by Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Blondie, and even Charles Bukowski (Reads His Poetry, 1980).

This is an original painting on acetate for the cover of Beans self-titled debut (and only) album for Avalanche Records, a nascent label under United Artists Records. The Day-Glo design is based on Van Hamersveld's character Johnny Face, which appeared on popular headshop posters beginning in 1970. As far as your cataloger can tell, very little of Van Hamersveld's original album cover art is in private hands, making this a rare opportunity to acquire an original piece-one featuring his most identifiable character-from one of the masters of the genre.

This original art has three connected pieces: foam core (21-1/2 by 23 inches) on which is mounted a piece of matboard (15 by 20 inches) with an acetate overlay (14 by 17 inches). The painting is on the back of the acetate, a difficult technique requiring the image to be painted in reverse with one color overlaying another so the artist can't actually see what they are doing. Van Hamersveld signed the image on the matboard, below the image but under the acetate so while it appears there is tape on the signature, the tape is actually affixed to the acetate above. Van Hamerveld titled the piece at the top (Beans!) and noted the record company (U[nited]. A[rtists]. Records) below. It appears he later gave this piece to a well-known celebrity photographer whose name is inscribed at the bottom of the mat.

The album Beans got good reviews but within months of its release in January 1972 one band member died in a car accident and two others got hepatitis from dirty needles. The group never recovered. In original condition. A very striking piece.