Don’t be FOOLed : Marijke

01 Feb Don’t be FOOLed : Marijke

It has been widely mis-reported that the Rolls-Royce and the Sgt Pepper’s Caravan had been designed and painted by The Fool, the famous group of Dutch artists that were creating many pieces for the Beatles, including the external mural on the Apple building.

We contacted Marijke Koger-Dunham of The Fool to find out more, but it turned out to be a red herring. Marijke clearly stated that all of the reports linking The Fool with the Rolls-Royce and Caravan were false. The artwork had not been done by them, although it is easy to understand why some might make the mistake of thinking it had been.

Marijke did, however, remember talking to John about the idea of having the car painted in such a style.

“John had an original gypsy wagon stationed in the garden and one day, while we were playing ball with Julian, I suggested to John he paint his Phantom Rolls that way.

He thought it was a splendid idea, and had it done by the same gypsies. That job has often been related as done by The Fool, but this is not the case.”

Marijke Koger-Dunham

In fact John visited JP Fallons, a coachbuilder in Chertsey, to have the work done. Their premises were based within the grounds of the traditional wagon makers, Thomas of Chertsey.

John commissioned both the Rolls-Royce and the caravan to be transformed into the attention grabbing psychedelic wonders that came to dazzle the world and blow a few minds in 1967.

We do not know whether or not John knew it at the time, or maybe it was coincidence, but it turns out that his traditional caravan had originally been built by Thomas of Chertsey in the late 1890s. Fortunately they didn’t object to seeing its traditional artwork being replaced with the radical and wild new designs of John’s imagination.

JP Fallons undertook the spray painting of the base colour background and then commissioned local artist, Steve Weaver, for the hand painting of the fairground swirls, flower designs for both the car and caravan. The caravan of course also had curious fantasy figures painted into and the now world famous Sgt Pepper’s drum head design.

Sadly, Steve is no longer alive, but we did manage to track down his daughter, Elizabeth, also an artist. She had been able to verify the authenticity of her father’s work.

FOOL’s Gold

As for The Fool, it seems that in the hearts and minds of many, they must somehow have been connected. Marijke planted the seed of the idea and so it seems only fitting that she now becomes part of the completion of the Peacing Together Vvsion.

We are commissioning a fabulous psychedelic art piece, by Marijke! The painting will be of the caravan on Bringing Peace to Life on its new journey spreading beauty, love, peace and inspiration. There will be a limited number of signed prints available and we will keep you posted on availability.