MARIJKE KOGER-DUNHAM: BEHIND THE SCENES DESIGNING FOR THE BEATLES

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Press Photo

Outfits for the Beatles’ wifes I met the Beatles in early 1967 after I designed a program cover for Brian Epstein’s Saville Theatre where he showcased musical acts from England and America at Sunday night performances.

 Marijke and Simon

Mel Evans, the Beatles’ roadie, saw the program cover and brought John and Paul to the studio where Simon (my ex) and I worked.. to meet us. They were very impressed by our artwork and invited us to attend the “A Day in a Life” party at Abbey Road studios which consolidated our friendship with the Beatles.

Some time later for the live broadcast of “All YouNeed is Love”, my girlfriend Yosha (who I had invited to work with us) and I designed and made the clothing for all four Beatles.

 Marijke Koger-Dunham

Consequently we made some dresses for Patti to go to the Monterey Pop festival in California.Next Simon and I painted John’s piano at Weybridge where we got to know Cynthia a little better.
  

Visits with Ringo and Maureen followed while we were there. They had just had their baby, Zack. Then Simon and I painted a fireplace mural at George’s house, Kinfauns and I became good friends with Patti.

After that Yosha and I designed and made costumes for the “Magical Mystery Tour” film. Inventing the look was something that came naturally to us, we didn’t really have to think about it and it certainly was not nerve racking (as you suggest). ( I would have died from nervous fits)

We chose fabrics and colors the way one would paint, choosing textile patterns and colors that went well together. We bought a lot of fabrics at Liberty’s of London  where they have the most beautiful around.

Once we were commissioned to decorate the “Apple” boutique and produce the clothing, I designed the murals by making sketches on paper first (although Epstein and the Beatles gave us a“free hand”).
 

For the clothing Yosha and I also made sketches, chose the fabrics and the garments were then manufactured for mass production.

 The Fool Yosha, Marijke and Anke Ferris

Vogue wanted to do a piece on “Apple” and hired Ronald Traeger, a great photographer, to do the shoot.

We asked Patti, Cynthia and Maureen to model and because Jane was away on a theatre tour, Jenny Boyd as well. This all happened before Sgt. Pepper. Fashion is to my mind wearable art, especially when constructed of colorful textiles.

 
This is disputed in copyright law as garments are considered “useful articles” rather than a “unique creative invention”. My fashion lines included hand silk screened fabric designs, among others putting the full color spectrum on cloth for the first time in history. In short, life without color would be dreadful.

Marijke photo by Heather Harris

MARIJKE ON FACEBOOK

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Marijke has her gorgeous prints and more for purchase on her website.....

Marijke Koger-Dunham graciously contributed this story, and many of these will be a revelation to readers heretofore only familiar with her iconic psychedelic works as commissioned by The Beatles in the mid-1960s...Read more of Heather Harris' interview of her friend Marijke HERE

MARIJKE KOGER-DUNHAM CREATED THE NEW RETROKIMMER BANNER!

my new banner by Marjike Koger Dunham

Remember the spectacular mural whose colorful panoramas adorned the walls of the Aquarius Theatre during the Los Angeles run of "HAIR", or the walls of The Beatles' "APPLE" Cultural Center in London? they were created by MARJIKE!!

Freedom as fuel: The work of Marijke Koger-Dunham

I have this Marijke in my living room....just love it!!

The Fool were a Dutch design collective and band who invented the psychedelic style of art in British popular music in the late 1960s. The colorful art draws on many fantastical and mystical themes. The name is a reference to The Fool tarot card.

The original members were Dutch artists Simon Posthuma and Marijke Koger, who were discovered by photographer Karl Ferris among the hippie community on the Spanish island of Ibiza in 1966. He took photographs of clothes designed by them, and sent them to London where they were published in The Times of London and immediately caused a sensation. The Fool's best known artworks are undoubtedly those they created for The Beatles in 1966-67.

THE MASTERS OF PSYCHEDELIA

Marijke on FACEBOOK 
Purchase Marjike's Art and Posters

GUEST POST FROM ROCK PHOTOGRAPHER HEATHER HARRIS

Loved seeing my gift hanging on HH's wall! Thought I would share this piece today XXOOK

The most eclectic and/or rare art resides in my photo studio bathroom. The studio originally was the barn of our 1912 farmhouse, and the back wall of same had been painted with a mural of The Promised Land (some of it seen at left in the photo above) in place of an altar when it was converted to a church for revival meetings. The Ann Arbor Rock and Roll Revival show poster above the utility sink (dating to when I used this space as a darkroom) is a brand new acquisition, a gift from Retrokimmer three weeks ago when I visited there and photographed the Tribute to Ron Asheton/Iggy and The 

Stooges gig. Atop the wood shelf is an old art school oil painting I did, with a 1978 theatre flyer below. It's by Edward Gorey of the London production of "Dracula" starring Terence Stamp, which Mr. Twister and I saw there. 

Below a signature work of Niagara's (Dark Carnival and Destroy All Monsters chanteuse) "This Band Sucks" giclee is an impossibly rare poster of English Boy Ltd., the vintage mid-1960s modeling agency made up of the coolest who's who of Mod/Psychedelic London's fashion, music and art scenes, illustrated with dozens of said scenesters from Brian Jones, James Fox, Suki Potier, Chrissie Shrimpton and Marijke Koger to various Ormsby-Gores and Raineys. And how did Mr. Twister procure this originally? He was one of their models during his sojourn with the cast of Mick Jagger's best film "Performance."

In our upstairs water closet are rock and roll magazines, rock and roll books (plus a Zelda Fitzgerald biography or three,) a large giclee print by Niagara (the Marlene Dietrich at left) and Marijke Koger-Dunham's (besides being featured at English Boy Ltd, the pyschedelic stylist to the Beatles, fine artist and member of The Fool) two fantasy prints. Yes, I have a retro paisley bathroom. Two of these books have appearances by yours truly. Rebel Music by Harvey Kubernik has my shot on the cover, and We Got the Neutron Bomb (History of L.A.Punk) actually quotes me. I had to answer someone's comment of "If I had this bathroom I'd rarely leave it" with my own confession, "I don't do those sorts of things any more."

What's in the downstairs' bathroom? Below, another Niagara giclee ("One of us is loaded,") one of Twister's 60s interior design posters, and an actual original 1973 David Lance Goines print of "Der Blaue Engel" ("The Blue Angel." I guess we like Marlene Dietrich icons in our bathrooms.) Mary Kay, bassist of legendary The Dogs and I both constructed as well as designed this loo, replete with our knocking out part of the wall and tiling over it, building a graceful plaster curve to the tub and, to play up the 1912 aspect, wall-papering all 4 walls and the ceiling (of the latter quoth Mary, "Never again!") During said construction, a faux supervisory Twister would stroll by and ask how Lucy and Ethel were doing! 

The more observant will note the barbed wire embedded in the toilet seat, bottom photograph, pun intended.

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

'EPONA" MARIJKE KOGER-DUNHAM

http://www.onlineposter.co.uk/c-Marijke+Koger+Dunham-119554.html

"LOVE LIFE" NEW RELEASE FROM MARIJKE KOGER-DUNHAM

Available on Marijke's Website

LUCY: GICLEE FROM MARIJKE KOGER-DUNHAM

"LUCY"

24 X 16

“LUCY” is now available as a Giclee print on matte bond paper

To order: 818-446-0457

Remember the spectacular mural whose colorful panoramas adorned the
walls of the Aquarius Theatre during the Los Angeles run of “HAIR”,
or the walls and interior of The Beatles’ “APPLE” Cultural Center in London?

These remarkable examples of art history were created by Marijke,
the multi-talented artist born in Holland, living in Los Angeles.
Marijke’s unique talents find expression in a diverse use of media,
including oil paintings, watercolors and gouaches.

In addition to her fine art commissions and exhibitions,
Marijke has completed three record albums,
created costumes for musical groups,
designed sets for movies, designed fashion lines,
fabric prints and more.

www.maryke.com

I received this giclee for Christmas and it is so vibrant!
"Lucy" appears to be surfing through colors...

Giclee is the process of making fine art prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing

Read More on RK
Magical Mystery Art of Marijke
THE FOOL: PSYCHEDELIC DESIGN COLLECTIVE

KIMMER'S ART FRAMED FOR CHRISTMAS!

This is Veronica Lake by Niagara Detroit. A lovely gift from my friend Heather Harris in Los Angeles. Veronica is mesmerizing and such vibrant color. See more giclee prints in Niagara's Gallery Thank You Heather!

Heather also sent me this fabulous print by Marijke Koger-Dunham of the Fool Design Group. My daughter Lesley really wanted to abscond with this print! It is wonderful and now framed on my wall. Thank You Heather and Marijke!

Lovely Marijke signed it for me...

Finally got my autographed Question Mark and the Mysterians poster framed too! Fantastic gift from Bass phenom Skid Marx. Skid got the band to sign it for me in silver marker which doesn't show up too well in the digital photo. Thanks Skid and Carrie!!

Oh I just love this poster! It is really rare and a gift from Dennis Thompson. It is made on really heavy paper and the colors are so vibrant. In the frame store I saw this frame and just knew it would fit this poster. It did! Thanks so much MGT!

Artist: The Firehouse Edition: 1st printing, silkscreen Size: 20.75 x 33 MC5 / DKT
7/29/05 Northsix Brooklyn, N.Y. Bought this FANTASTIC poster on Ebay! Dennis signed it for me and it is huge!

This Arminski poster is from the screening of the MC5 movie in Detroit 2003. I attended the film premiere with my old friend Dan Hyatt and he really pushed me into to taking these items to a frame shop the next day. Otherwise I might stash them in the closet and never frame them. It cost 218.00 to matte and frame the three items but I am so happy Dan talked me into doing this! Thanks Danny! I also have a signed handbill too, you can get one HERE

Autographed card and two ticket stubs framed with the poster. So my happiest moments this holiday season were spent with drummer Al King hanging out at Michael's Craft Store buying frames. Thanks ALEX!

HAPPY BOXING DAY WITH THE ROLLING STONES...

Good morning! Hope everyone had a blast for Christmas! I sure had a relaxing time this year. I received Keith Richards' new autobiography "Life" for Christmas. Framed a bunch of my rock posters/prints of DKT/MC5, Niagara, and Marijke Koger-Dunham's lovely work. I'll photograph them for another story. So cool. I am dumping all my old paintings that are so boring now. I want to look around my house and see HAPPY stuff!

Framed this poster and as it is so long, the scan is weird but you get the idea... it is over 3.5 feet long... kind of looks like this image but better of course. A lovely gift from Dennis Thompson

Keith Richard's book is great! I really like it so far. I am about half way through the over 500 page book. It is an interesting read for sure. I really didn't know much about the inner workings of the Stones. All I ever really knew were the tabloid headlines of Mick Jagger's antics with women and Keith Richard's many issues with drugs and the law. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman keep a low profile (smart!)

The book goes into big detail on how Keith came up with the riffs and Mick the lyrics. I have learned so much about music, guitars and drums this past year so I actually understand what Keith is talking about a bit when it comes to open tuning etc.

Keith to me has always been the musical genius behind the Stones for me. But I never really knew that Mick was such a great lyricist! WOW. Anyway I won't give out anymore spoilers. Back in high school in the 70's I have to say I was a die hard Beatles freak. The Stones not so much. Then I met Mary Macek. Mary is the daughter of an Army Colonel and as my dad was an Army Major we sort of found each other. Mary and I were the only two Army brats in Ypsilanti at that time.

Naturally we had lots in common. At least we both knew Army kids did NOT live in a barracks and eat C Rations.... you'll never believe how many kids asked me if we did. Mary's folks had a big old German style home in town and I always stayed there as it was closer to the action than my house. We did all the stupid girl stuff you read about. Don't worry Mary I am not going into that area!! I drive with my daughter by Mary's old house every now and then and I always point at the upper left bedroom window and tell my kid, "Hey that's where I spent my whole teenage life in that room!"

 Hanging out the window sneaking ciggies and dancing around the bedroom. Or laying on the bed staring out the window hoping some boys might cruise by. Typical teen age girl stuff. Kinda :) Mary LOVED the Stones... She had a tons of their records and we played them over and over. You might say I was Stoned by Mary! Every time I hear classic Stones I have a Macek flashback of some sort... We had such a blast together, more fun than any two girls should have been allowed to have! Well we both survived, still having
laughs together.

 

Here is the main song that reminds me of Mary. Mary used to always change the lyrics on songs which never failed to throw me into hysterical laughter. What a comedian she is. "Have you seen your mother baby, standing in the shadows, (waiting with my mom to bust us)

The first time I heard a Stones tune it was in my cousin's backyard. She had her 45 record player plugged in outside and she had just gotten "Get Off My Cloud" which we were doing the cool dance that went with that song. Hey hey.. you you.. Get Offa My Cloud! I believe that song kick-started our teenage rebellion more than any other.

 It was our cry to our parents to let us run wild... Nothing was the same after that song came out. Actually I can only think of one Stones' song that I don't like, ANGIE!!! ugh, I hated that song from the very first time I heard it. My idea of purgatory would be being forced to listen to Angie over and over for eternity! My Stones Top 5 What are yours? Paint it Black Brown Sugar Out of Time Happy Under My Thumb The Rolling Stones... THE ROCK BAND from London, England formed in April 1962 by guitarist and harmonica player Brian Jones, pianist Ian Stewart, vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, Bassist Bill Wyman and KILLER drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup.

The Stones were Blues and Early Soul Music freaks. They were totally immersed with the Blues Cats such as Muddy Waters who wrote "Rollin' Stone", Detroit's John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, all the American legends. The Stones turned America kids back onto American Blues.

My favorite Blues Blog is The Blues Blogger we naturally ran into each other as we are both huge music fans and have similar taste. Give him a read, he is a fantastic classic music reviewer. Rumor has it that The Blues Blogger is someone big in the music industry... he's not telling I tried to get it out of him! LOL Read More on RK The Death of Brian Jones Retro Kimmer's Music History Hullabaloo and Shindig

MAGICAL MYSTERY: MARIJKE'S ART

Happy Sunday Retro fans...

We met the fantastic rock photographer Heather Harris and are in the process of making a blog suitable for framing her fabulous images. Heather rides horses with the fantastic psychedelic innovator Marijke Koger Dunham. Heather graciously introduced RK to MKD to do a bit of a post on her marvelous life and work.

Marijke Koger-Dunham is one of the founding members of THE FOOL the retro fantastic group of musicians and art designers of the 1960's London Rock scene. The Fool designed clothing, recorded music, painted murals and custom painted instruments for the most famous of rock icons of all time. Their works helped tp create the Psychedelic Modern Art Movement.

RK asked Magical Marijke about how she came to be a artist/muralist and she replied:

Marijke and Simon of The Fool

To answer your questions, I got interested in murals when the Tropical Museum in Amsterdam had an exhibition of huge Aztec mosaic murals installed on the museum's exterior. I could see them on my way to school on my bicycle.

All artists of all times have had an influence on my work but my favorites are the bronze age Minoans, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Rembrandt , Rubens, Picasso, Dali and Magritte.

George Harrison and Pattie Boyd's Fireplace

Marijke Koger and the artist group The Fool came to London in the early ’60s from Amsterdam as clothing designers, and were asked by NEMS’(North End Music Stores) Brian Epstein to style his clients in the new Psychedelic fashions, everything from the painted guitars and flamboyant clothes sported by Cream on their first US tour to psychedelic cars for the stars and the mural on The Apple Boutique - which also showcased their fashions. \

Many of Marijke's original paintings and posters are for sale: HERE

Their album sleeves for Jimi Hendrix, The Move and The Incredible String Band among others, remain classics. Also features a lavishly illustrated booklet alongside in-depth notes by the author of ‘Those Were The Days’, the definitive book on Apple Records.

Remember the spectacular mural whose colorful panoramas adorned the walls of the Aquarius Theatre during the Los Angeles run of "HAIR", or the walls of The Beatles' "APPLE" Cultural Center in London? These remarkable examples of art history were created by Marijke Koger-Dunham, the multi-talented artist from Amsterdam, Holland.

Marijke's unique talents find expression in a diverse use of media, including oil paintings, watercolors and gouaches. Her distinctive work has had an easily discernable influence on other contemporary artists and designers, and has attracted the patronage of many international celebrities including Prince Alphonso of Hohenloe, The Beatles, Graham Nash, The Cream, Michael Butler, Billie D. Williams, the Hon. Mrs. Thomas Bradley, and others.

PURCHASE ORIGINAL ART FROM MARIJKE HERE

Marijke's husband Don Dunham has a great band called "Black Cat" (hard rock)
check out his music HERE

There is a fantastic blogger CHILD OF THE MOON who has the most brilliant post on THE FOOL and basically all her posts have the most hard to find images. Where does she get those pics? We want you to go see her work it is to die for.... she is on my RK links list too.

Read More:

NEW**The Fool Design Collective
MARIJKE: MOONSHADOW GICLEE
Marijke: Dancing in Wonderwall
Magical Mystery Marijke's Art