My rca secret 2010 experience

So remember I said that I have never won the raffle,  well that duck was broken in spectacular fashion.  Of which more later......

As ever the build up to the sale was prefaced with news filtering out from the college about the number of contributors to the exhibition and various new names who had never contributed to the exhibition before were added - including Franz West, Yinka Shonibare, Sir Anthony Caro etc.

We kept our eyes peeled for information from the college on their facebook page and twitter feed and also for any news articles appearing.

The other big news in advance of the sale was that price of the cards had gone up.  Cards were now £45 each rather than £40 (they were £35 when I first started going to the sale).  I still think this represents very good value for money.  Where else can you buy an original work of art for that sum?

There was a heck of a lot of press in advance of the sale this year including a piece on BBC breakfast TV as well as numerous articles in the written press.  Whilst it is of course great to see the college get so much great press there is  always that nagging doubt at the back of the mind that more press equals an even longer queue and more waiting.  But hey ho not much can be done about that.

Anyway after much anticipation the cards were released online on Friday.  I got my first chance to see them in person on Sunday.  Perhaps because the college had been closed the previous day, Saturday, it felt like a queue reunion and I saw loads of old friends there.  I also went with the kids who are now old enough to know what they like and both spent time writing their lists of what numbers they wanted.

So the next few days were spent browsing the cards on the net, and choosing the ones I liked.  Come Friday morning I had a pretty good idea what I ideally wanted and headed down to the college to set up camp.  There I could see that the queue was already over the road from Kensington Gore.  Plus I also saw that I'd managed to beat John (just), Hugh, mark and Chris.  They all turned up shortly thereafter and the rest of the day was spent queueing, looking at the cards and chatting.

John and I also popped over the road to Kensington Gardens to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures.  If you haven't been I can highly recommend it.  The sky mirrors seem to turn the sky into one huge painting and really opens up your eyes to what is around and above you.

On other thing that I should mention - the queue now does not go round the corner but crosses over the street in Kensington Gore due to complaints from local residents.  This was causing a lot of problems for the person right at the end of that part of the queue who had to constantly tell new arrivals that they had not reached the end of the queue but had to cross the road.  Luckily the college were persuaded to put up a sign by us and a bollard and this seemed to stop the problem going forward.  The college also arranged for a security guard to patrol the queue and for portaloos to be installed at the back of the college which was also a real help.  So thanks for that :)

Anyway time came for the college to close its doors and for us all to settle down for the night in the queue.  But before that we had the excitement of the raffle draw.  Would this be the year I got the call?

Well indeed it was.  In fact not only did I get the call but also my daughter as well, who was beside herself with excitement.   I'm not sure which one of us was more elated!  So I stayed with the guys for a little while, lent my tent to someone else in the queue, and headed off home.

Needless to say it was a strange experience being in a warm bed on the night before the sale, instead of wrapped up in a sleeping bag on the street.  Of course I was absolutely delighted to win the raffle but at the same time kinda missed the camaraderie of the queue and the mounting excitement that queueing overnight provides.  Perhaps in sympathy for my queue compadres I woke up wide awake at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep, for thinking about cards and numbers.

So we turned up the following morning and got let into the college at 7am.  All of us milled around in the entrance and were then told that our names would be called and that we were to assemble in order.  Amazingly I was called fifth in the order, which was very exciting and my daughter was 44th.  Having discussed tactics with her beforehand we agreed that if I was higher up the list than her I would buy for her her number 1 choice and favourite card - a drawing of a motorbike that I was fairly sure was by Grayson Perry.  She would then buy one card for me from her list, another card from her sisters list and two from her own.

So in the end I bought the following cards

Tracey Emin:

Grayson Perry:

Peter Jones

Simon Foxall

I was absolutely delighted with these these and really pleased that I had at long last managed to get cards by two artists I have long admired (Emin and Jones) but never been able to get at RCA secret.  People will know from my previous posts that this is the not the first time I have been after a Peter Jones in particular, he is one of my favourite artists.

And my daughter got

Frances Fogg (for her sister)

Peter Savage

Glen Baxter

and this card for me by Ruth Murray:

We haven't been able to find out too much information about the first two of these artists.  Strangely I bought a Frances Fogg card two years ago because I loved it (and it was very different from this one).  So I would love to know more details about Frances if anyone has any out there.  The card by Ruth Murray was absolutely one of my favourites, a beautiful card drawn but a very talented painter.  I wasn't familiar with her work before RCA secret (although I must have seen her college graduation show as I certainly went to the RCA show that year) so it is nice to have a "new" artist to research and to follow their career.

Thanks to the college for a wonderful show and a great experience.  It was splendid to beat my raffle duck and I will see you all again, in the queue, next year.

Let me know your experiences and what you got! xx

Designer Dan on RCA secret

Here is something written by Daniel Hall about his experiences of the RCA secret sale.  Dan's blog can be accessed here. 

Although I have posted about the previous years RCA Secrets on this very blog, today was the first time I actually braved the mammoth queues to try and get myself a postcard.

Searching through the internet the day before the sale I found there to be a real lack of information for first timers like myself. I was interested to know what time people generally started queuing and I wanted someone to manage my expectations on how quickly the postcards start to sell out. So I thought before I do a write up of the artists and artworks I purchased, I would write a dedicated blog post describing the morning to hopefully give people a better understanding of the sale.

If you're impatient though photos have been uploaded onto my Flickr account, so if you want a sneak peek as to what I managed to get you can go here.

We got to the Royal College of Art for 5:45am and saw the street next to the RCA full of tents, as we walked down the street it looked like they had stopped. "Great!" we thought, this isn't too bad, unfortunately we then saw a sign saying the queue carries on across the street. There were a lot of overnighters so even getting there earlier wouldn't have progressed our position in the queue that much. Below is a quick diagram showing how long the queue was when we got there, which also shows how many tents there were.

Even at this unearthly hour on a Saturday morning there was a real buzz in the air, within minutes everyone was chatting to each other . It was great listening to peoples stories on how they had arrived, some had just carried on their Friday night drinking whilst others had woken up early. The time seemed to go by pretty quick and after the tent brigade packed up the queue moved along a fair amount boosting morale. However after 4 hours we were still outside so we were starting to feel the cold even through multiple layers, thankfully it wasn't raining as I could imagine that would make things pretty miserable.

Once inside the RCA we had to queue for another hour before we could see the screens showing which postcards have been sold and which are still available to order. I had a personal list of about 70-80 cards I really liked and i was chuffed to see that about 20% of my postcards were still available. I managed to buy 2 cards which were in my top 20 which was great and I was really happy with my other 2 choices, however other people were less happy as all their cards had gone. Once purchased at the cashiers we went upstairs with an invoice, where RCA staff collected our postcards and brought them over.

Finally receiving the cards after queuing for 5 1/2 hours gave us quite amazing feeling. I can see why the postcards hardly ever pop up for resale as there is such a strong personal experience associated with obtaining the artwork.

For those who just want any postcard from the show I had a look on the RCA Facebook page and there were still 350 cards left of the 2,700 with a minimum queue at 4:15pm. So don't be put off by thinking you have to get there stupidly early before they all sell out.

I guess the big question is would i do it again?

The secret is revealed

The college has now revealed on the RCA secret website who did what. Check it out. As usual there are bound to be some surprises.

College open for 50 more minutes

You've got around 50 more minutes to make your last minute purchases.  Apparently there are still some cards left, although not many. 

As for me I had a rather good day.  More later.

Hopefully once the college is closed then the college will post details of who did what.  How did everyone get on?

Good luck all

Good luck to everyone queueing for the sale tomorrow and saturday morning.  I hope you get what you want.  And remember the 7 golden rules

1. Make sure your list is looonnnggg

2. Check that you have the numbers of the cards right on your list. It's easy to make a mistake

3. Buy what you like

4. Be nice to those around you in the queue (one of them may be me :)

5. When you get the front of the queue breathe, relax and go through your list systematically

6. When you've chosen your cards get the cashier to read the numbers back to so you can check you have the right ones

7. Frame, display don't eBay      

Late opening tomorrow

Don't forget the college is open late tomorrow. Viewing of the sale is open until 9pm.

Decisions Decisions!

How do you choose from 2,800 Pieces of Art?

It can be overwhelming, and almost offputting to see so many and have to choose.

Once you choose how do put them in order?

Which one do I like more?

Do I like the big crow more than the three crows?

What about the drawing of the octopus-like wierd creature thing?

Eeeek!!!!

Whatever your taste, there's surely something for you at the RCA Secret. What I would suggest is that you make sure you have plenty of 'backup' cards on your list (more decisions).

This Blog allows all comments, let us know how you decide what to put on your list?

RCA secret on breakfast TV tomorrow.

RCA Secret is going to be on BBC Breakfast tomorrow morning on BBC 1 at 6.50am, 7.50am and between 8.40 & 9am. Includes an interview with Sir Peter Blake, curator Wilhelmina Bunn and art critic Richard Cork.

Lorraine Snape on RCA secret

Regular contributor to the show Lorraine Snape has written a little piece for us about her involvement in RCA secret.  The canvas which appears above is one of hers that my other half bought at RCA secret 2003 and now hangs in our daughter's bedroom.

I first heard of RCA Secret from a friend, and contributor, Ebba Erikzon. We were away in Manchester together for a few days and she was drawing on these postcards, so eventually curiosity got the better of me and I asked what she was up to! She told me about the show, having studied at the RCA herself, and asked me if I'd like her to put my name forward. Sounded like an exciting thing to be involved with. This was about 7 years ago, and I've done most years since.

I vary in my approach each time but don't go down the road of trying to mimic anyone, or pass as someone else, though I know a lot of that goes on.

I have submitted canvasses, photographs and even chocolate bars! but mostly I think the cards have been little ink drawings. So the work flits from sketches, to abstract and even conceptual work but the scale is quite different for me as generally my canvasses are 8'-10' tall!

It's quite exciting to have the blank cards turn up in the post. I always end up leaving them until it's far too late. Inevitably the deadline gets extended, and I leave it even later, and then finally I hand deliver them on the last submission day instead of getting them in the post in plenty of time.

There's a certain freedom involved in producing the works. Somehow in my head I imagine that the work is completely anonymous, and that, in itself, allows for a greater element of creativity. Although, the opposite is true, I believe that no one may ever find out they're mine.

I persuade myself easily with natural insecurity that they won't sell and therefore the card will never be turned over to reveal the true identity.  Consequently, that thought has been somewhat undermined by the college in the last couple of years, revealing, as they do, the names alongside the images on the site following the sale.

When it comes to the sale itself, well, actually the party, I'm always embarrassed walking past the tents pitched outside. November is pretty cold on the streets of London and I find it hard when people are queuing outside in advance and we artists, as contributors, swan past for our glass of free champagne and perhaps even a gift from a keen sponsor.

Once inside, it's a game to find yourself, find your own cards whilst at the same time trying to guess your friends, then onto anyone famous, and finally, which ones are your favourites.

RCA Secret is such a great all inclusive and levelling show. I always enjoy it, and having checked out the cards online and already got into the mood, this year is no exception.

College closed today

Don't forget the college is closed today. I would't want anyone to have a wasted trip.

How is everyone getting on? There are a lot of cards to go through aren't there.

Cards Are Now Online!!!

Stop reading this and click here!!!

Words not Cards

As we all await the cards being online and the gallery to open (both to happen around 11:00am). The RCA have posted an essay on the Sales from Nicola Churchward, (Critical Writing in Art & Design, RCA). Here is the link, the essay text is shown below...

In the summer of 1840, the playwright and novelist, Theodore Hook of Fulham, London, dropped a small piece of card into his local letterbox. On one side he had written his own address and, on the other, he had printed a somewhat absurd and unflattering caricature of twelve men, gathered dutifully around an impossibly gigantic ink well. Each man appeared to be as ungainly and repugnant looking as the next. Each one concentrating, bleary eyed, on holding his quill.

It was unheard of for items to travel through the postal system without an envelope at this time, so this little piece of card was sure to attract the attention of every postal worker who was obliged to handle it. What did they see? The men depicted on the card were, in fact, postal workers. The joke was on them. And so it was for the solitary pleasure of a rather eccentric man that the picture postcard was born, not two miles from where you stand.

170 years later, this ‘postal innovation’ has come to epitomize our aptitude for communicating through images. A picture speaks a thousand words, or so they say. It can inspire and remind us. Calm or excite us. Or indeed make us laugh. A marker in time and place the picture postcard might remain on the wall for a lifetime.

Big news day for RCA secret

Phew, where to start on a big news day for RCA secret.

First up the college informed us on the facebook group that Stella McCartney is a contributor this year.

Secondly there has been LOADS of press about rca secret. The best is a great article in the guardian (reproduced below). But that wasn't the only press. Articles have also appeared in Harpers Bazaar and Vogue.


Royal College of Art postcard exhibition is biggest yet

RCA Secret is in its 17th year, and offers people the opportunity to own an artwork – perhaps by a famous artist – for £45

Would Jake Chapman, Tracey Emin or Yinka Shonibare have simply painted the word "GOOD" in gaudy orange on a postcard, or would they have contributed something a bit more "them"?

The question arises as the Royal College of Art once more prepares for a charity event that has become one of the most interesting and enjoyable fundraisers on the visual art calendar.

Staff today began installing 2,800 postcard-sized artworks for RCA Secret – the biggest show in its 17 years. The cards are displayed anonymously online and at the RCA in London for a week before being offered to the public at £45 each. It could be a work by Sir Anthony Caro or Grayson Perry, or by a student. The work might one day be worth tens of thousands of pounds, or it might be barely worth the paper it was drawn on.

"It does feel like it gets bigger and bigger each year and this is the biggest yet," said curator Wilhelmina Bunn. "We now have a really nice community of artists who want to support it and the community is a little stronger than it used to be. That might be because students are more in need of bursaries."

More than £1m has been raised over the years for fine art bursaries and if all the cards sell this year then at least £126,000 will be raised. Money which is, Bunn said, even more important in these straightened times. "It has supported lots and lots of artists who might not have been able to come here without the support of a bursary."

It is now an incredibly popular event, given an added frisson by being first come first served. "Even though it's November we quite often get people staying two or three nights in a tent to be first in the queue," said Bunn. "Then a lot of people come very early on the morning of the sale, some of them after the pub, some of them on the way home from somewhere. It's a lovely atmosphere."

Bunn said it should not be assumed these early birds were after what they thought was an Emin or a Chapman. "A lot of people want to buy specific works they've seen in the exhibition, not necessarily by very famous people, but works they like. They want to own art by artists and they think that the Royal College of Art students and alumni and tutors represents a great deal of quality in art."

The exhibition opens and goes online Friday and the sale day is 20 November with the first 50 entrants being decided by raffle through the RCA.

This year's roster of more famous contributors also includes Sir Peter Blake, Olafur Eliasson, Yoko Ono, John Baldessari, Ron Arad, Terence Conran, Mike Leigh, James Dyson, Nick Park, Sir Paul Smith, Manolo Blahnik and Stella McCartney.

Some of those may be going to great lengths to disguise the fact it is them but Bunn believes most don't. "The ego is sometimes too big. People tend to want to do the thing that they do, because that's what they're known for."

Interview in Time Out London

Time out London seem to have persuaded some random punter to give them an interview about RCA secret. Luckily no photographs of our hapless interviewee were used!



This week (November 12-19) 2,500 artworks the size of a postcard go on display at the Royal College of Art. Some of the drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures are by RCA students who have yet to make their names, others are by established artists, illustrators and designers, this year including Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin, Peter Blake, Yoko Ono, Nick Park and Ron Arad. No matter who they're by, the price for each work in the RCA Secret sale is the same: £45. But the signature's on the back so you won't know for certain whose work you're buying until you've paid for it. The fundraiser, for the RCA's fine-art students, started in 1994, and it's grown in popularity each year. Some people even queue overnight. We asked one of them, Perry Hill, a great enthusiast who co-authors a blog on the event (http://rcasecret.blogspot.com/), to explain its appeal.

When did you first discover the RCA Secret sale?
'In 2000.I was browsing Time Out and looking for something to do at the weekend when I came across a listing for RCA Secret and thought it could be fun to go along and have a look.
I queued for the sale and bought two postcards including one by British abstract artist Richard Smith.I was totally bitten by the bug and have been every year since, and have queued overnight since 2001.'

Have you got a background in art?
'No, I've always enjoyed contemporary art but have no background in it.My day job is as a solicitor so contemporary art in generaland RCA Secret in particular offers a real opportunity to get involved in a completely different world.'

You're clearly a big fan. What's so special about the event?
'It's very accessible.There are no stuffy gallery staff looking down their noses at you.The saleis open to anyone who is prepared to queue.The fact that all the art is anonymous means that you are forced to put aside any preconceptions you may have.Fans generally buy the artwork they like - if it turns out to be by a well known artist, that is a bonus.'

It's not a matter of turning up on the sale day and hoping to stroll in and buy the artwork you fancy, is it? Talk us through the process.
'The cards are exhibited at the college from November 12.They're displayed in groups of 100 and all the cards are numbered.They are also online.You can wander round the exhibition and make a note of the numbers of the cards that you like.You also need to ensure that you have registered with the college before the sale day, which you can do in person or online.

The sale starts at 8am on Saturday November 20.It's very popular and there is a long queue by the time the doors open.Once at the front of the queue you're taken down to a room below the exhibition hall. There's a bank of tills and a computer screen which displays the numbers and tiny images of the cards. The sold cards are indicated on the screen. When you get to the front of the queue you read out the card numbers to the cashier. Don't worry if you haven't noted whether a particular card is still available - they'll tell you if it is not.

Once you have selected your cards you pay for them and take your collection slip up to the gallery. There a runner will get the cards for you and you can then check the back for the all-important name.'

How helpful is viewing online?
'It's always better to see the cards in the flesh, as a flat 2D image online can only give you a general idea.I've seen some cards online andthought they were photographs.It was only when I turned up and saw them in person thatI realised that, in fact, they were paintings.'

How early do you start to queue?
'I queue overnight but not everyone is that dedicated.The queue tends to swell rapidly from about 6am onwards so arriving before then is recommended, although I have known people to get the cards they wanted when they started queueing much later than that.The key is to make sure that you have a long list of cards you like so that you are not too disappointed if your first choices are all sold.'

What's the atmosphere like in the queue?
'I've never met such a friendly, yet diverse collection of people. I have made some very close friends through queueing each year.The excitement builds as you'd expect; it's like a social game of poker, with everyone wanting to talk about the postcards, the artists, what they like, but all holding their list of numbers close to their chest. Advice abounds, but people are conscious of those in the queue ahead of them.'

There's a raffle for the first 50 places in the queue. How does that work?
'Once you've registered for the sale you can buy up to 10 raffle tickets at £1 each. They're on sale at the college up until the afternoon of November 19. The college draw 50 winners and telephone them on Friday evening, generally between 6pm and 7pm. If you've won you are allowed to enter the sale before the queuers. I've never won the raffle but I believe you're assigned a position within the top 50 and assembled into order. You can then make your purchases having stolen a march on all those hardy queuers.'

Do most people buy a single card or the full allocation of four cards?
'Most people who have queued overnight will buy their full allocation but by no means everyone does.'

How about the big reveal when people turn their artworks over?
'It can be very exciting. I can recall still queueing at the sales desk and hearing shrieks of excitement upstairs when someone has got a card they really want. Last year I was lucky enough to find cards by Gerhard Richter and Grayson Perry and, somewhat embarrassingly, I recall falling to my knees, screaming out in joy and punching the air.I put it down to the lack of sleep the previous night!'

Do you think most people buy for themselves or in the hope of selling the works on at a profit?
'I'd say the majority of people buy for themselves. While the odd card has cropped up on the secondary market after the sale they are very few and far between. The sale has been running now for 16 years and in that time roughly 30,000 RCA secret cards have been produced. By my reckoning,and I do keep track, less than 200 have cropped up on eBay or at auction after the sale, a tiny percentage of the total number out there.'

Have you bought big names in past sales? Or do you simply buy work that appeals to you?
'I love contemporary art and the beauty of RCA Secret is that some of my favourite artists regularly contribute work to the sale. So it gives me an opportunity to try to buy original works from them that ordinarily I wouldn't be able to afford. I would never buy a card that I didn't like just because I thought it was by a famous artist. To me that would seem like pointless trophy hunting, and you run the risk of it not being by that artist in any event. In the past I have been lucky enough to get works by the likes of Damien Hirst, Gerhard Richter, Grayson Perry, Olafur Eliasson, Mary Fedden and Nick Park amongst many others. But equally some of my favourite cards in my collection are by less well known but nevertheless talented artists. I also have a number of cards that were done by students at the college or other contributors I haven't been able to find out anything about. It doesn't detract from my admiration of the artwork.'

Another independent article

So a second article in the independent today who are clearly loving this years show.  Click here to see it in full.

Which picture is by a famous artist? Answers on a postcard 

By Rob Sharp, Arts Correspondent

How confident are you at distinguishing between the work of an art world legend and that of an unknown student? One of these pictured works, going on sale for £45 next week, has been produced by an A-list British artist. The other five, while no less impressive, are by anonymous rising stars.

This year's Royal College of Art (RCA) Secret show, an annual fundraising exhibition beginning on Friday, has seen an unprecedented number of established artists, including Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry, donate postcard-sized work to the London college. The show will see consumers select unlabelled art on its aesthetic merits. It is only after the sale that purchasers discover whether they have bought a Jake Chapman, a Sir Peter Blake, or the work of one of the RCA's students, which might take several more years to yield its value. A postcard by Peter Doig bought in 2000 later sold at Sotheby's for £42,000.

"The support we have had is overwhelming," said Wilhelmina Bunn, RCA Secret's curator. "Because the exhibition aims to raise funds for student bursaries we've had an especially strong response because people know that now is the time to support artists, who often have to survive with less prospects of immediate work. "

Yinka Shonibare a contributor

The college today announced that Yinka Shonibare is a first time contributor to the show this year. How exciting. I love his work. Also confirmed as contributors are Will Alsop, Sir Terence Conran and Manolo Blahnik.

Meanwhile in other news this blog was suggesting that there will be a total of 2800 cards this year, higher than previous years. However it has now been edited and that figure has been removed?!? Your guess is as good as mine..... All will be revealed on Friday.

Loads of images of cards on the independent website

Woohoo, now this is the stuff.  An article on the independent website (repeated below) and no less than 56 (count em) images of the cards.  Enjoy peeps.

As the major auction houses gear up for their big autumn sales, it appears that despite the recession the art market is picking up steam again. But while Lichtensteins and Warhols are being tipped to sell for tens of millions, those with an eye for a bargain can bag themselves a Tracey Emin or a Grayson Perry for just £45.

Surely there must be several zeros missing from that sum, I hear you cry. But no. The postcard-size gems being purveyed later this month in London’s Kensington include pictures by the aforementioned Emin and Perry, works by Peter Blake, Jake Chapman, Yoko Ono, designer Paul Smith, photographer David Bailey – not to mention a host of other illustrious names – and all for under 50 quid. 

But there is a catch. The 2,500 original artworks on sale at the Royal College of Art in three weeks’ time, each costing £45, are part of the college’s ‘secret sale.’ Collectors buying art will have no idea until after they’ve handed over their cash by whom the painting or drawing they purchased was made. 

Each postcard is signed on the back, so eagle-eyed experts will need to hone their talent-spotting skills to sift the Turner Prize-winners from the art students. Potential investors will be able to view the works on certain days in the week running up to the November 20 sale. 

Proceeds from the sale will go to the RCA Fine Art Student Award Fund. To date, previous ‘secret sales’ have raised more than £1 million.

Angela Lamb on RCA secret

In advance of the sale we caught up with the very talented Angela Lamb about her involvement with the sale.  She is a regular contributor to the show, supporting it every year.  Anyway over to Angela to tell us more.

RCA Secret Blog have asked me to write a small amble about my involvement with RCA Secret, the hows, the whats, the whys. So here I am, albeit a little belatedly but anyway, Ive been involved for awhile, in fact this will be my seventh year, I believe. I've knew about the event some time ago when I was at art college but never quite knew how you got through the entry doors and be part of it, then I stumbled on a classified for it in one of the art magazines and its gone from there. It's quite odd, to think that you’re part of such a well known event and be amongst arts heroes but its great fun too. 

Also quite bizarre how we all end up with running themes each year despite many contributors being involved directly with the college in other ways. Im sure this year will not be an exception either, its always interesting to see what pops up. What I do know is that there’s always been a little game amongst those involved, like an arty ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ where famous and yet-to-be famous artists disguise their styles into that of another well known artist. I think its more for our own amusement rather than to confuse buyers although that’s fun too.  I have been known to participate in that most times but this year is the exception.

Normally, I work to 3 rules for my RCA Secret contributions, 1 artist copycat style, 1 topical/satirical, and finally, 1 of my own style. However, this year, Ive accidentally scribbled out my rules and they’re all my own style and some might say a little cheeky in their own ways, slight hint of burlesque and things. Its taken me a lot more time to do them although I got ideas for them quite quickly, but they’ve taken a lot more drafting than I thought but they’re in. Expect a little glitter, and freehand drawings, sometimes its a little trickier for me to produce a repeat of my drawings so they’ve been a little trial of my skills and patience at moments, but a lot of blasting music at myself has helped at the trickiest moments. To make it a little trickier Ive had to work on these pieces as A3 sketches as it was proving a little too hard in my normal pocket sketchbook. So there’s been many a trial and error thing happening, but its been a good learning curve really, think its good to be able to test yourself a little or a lot every now and again. Think I’ve been partly influenced by my interest in costume as well this year as I often make my own ones along with accessories such as fascinators and I really love the theatre, look and humour of burlesque.

This will also be the first time, I think that all 3 postcards that I’m contributing will be drawn as I tend to mix my media, including photography, illustration, painting, collage on previous submissions. Really looking forward to seeing everyone’s contributions this year, an amazing bundle of names involved this year too, no exceptions and what will everyone have produced I wonder.

Tracey emin also confirmed as a contributor

The college have confirmed that tracey Emin is also contributing to the sale this year. Another great line up of artists this year.

Sir Peter Blake named as contributor

The college have confirmed that Sir Peter Blake is also contributing this year.  And they have also posted a couple of great photos of him signing the cards on their facebook page.  Gets more exciting by the day :)

Yet more contributor news

Some of these have been mentioned, some are new.  Here is the updated list of RCA secret contributors:

To date this year’s exhibition has received over 2,000 postcards from among others, artists Grayson Perry, Olafur Eliasson, Jake Chapman, Yoko Ono, Sir Anthony Caro, John Baldessari, Franz West, Billy Childish, photographer David Bailey, filmmaker Mike Leigh, graphic designer Milton Glaser, illustrator Quentin Blake, fashion designers Sir Paul Smith, Mary Quant and Andrew Fionda, architect John Pawson, designers Ron Arad (pictured - photograph by another rca secret contributor David Bailey), Sir Ken Adam, Sir James Dyson, Ross Lovegrove and Margaret Calvert.

Piece about the sale in last night's evening standard

Last night's evening standard featured a nice piece on the sale together with images of three of the cards for sale.  I can't find the article online so here is a scan of it, click on the picture to enlarge:

More RCA secret contributor news

The college has today announced some more contributor news with Grayson Perry, Jake Chapman, Franz West, Sir Paul Smith and David Bailey confirmed as contributors.  Some interesting new names there.

Rego card fetches nearly £7,000

You may recall that here I discussed a Paula Rego card that was to be auctioned at Sothebys.  Well the auction was yesterday and the card fetched a health £6875 including buyers commission.  This doesn't surprise me as it is a lovely example of her work.

Updated RCA secret FAQ's.

In advance of the 2010 sale I thought it would be helpful if I updated the FAQs.  So here they are.

How do I spot the cards by the top artists?

The million dollar question. My first answer to that would be another question – why would you want to? If it is because you love the artist anyway and RCA secret is the only way that you can pick up their work at an affordable price then trust me you have a good chance of spotting your favourite artist’s work.

If it is because you are looking to make money out of the sale then, sorry you are on your own. And in any event it is unclear how much the cards from the sale are worth in any event.

What time should I start queuing?

Any time after me ;) Seriously though I know people who have started to queue 2 hours after the sale doors opened and have still got the cards they want, although that was a few years ago now and the sale gets more popular every year.   It really depends on how committed you are. The queue starts to swell quickly from around 6.30am until the doors open.   Don't expect to see much left if you turn up much after around 9am.

What should I buy?

It sounds clichéd but seriously you should buy what you like. Isn’t that more important than buying something that you think may be by a famous artist? I guarantee most of the time your punts at a famous artist will usually be wrong.

How does the raffle work?

Once registered for the sale you can buy up to 10 raffle tickets at £1 each.  These are on sale up until the Friday afternoon of the sale.  On each raffle ticket you write your buyers number and phone number.  The college draw 50 lucky winners and telephone each of the winners on friday evening, generally between 6pm and 7pm to let them know they have won.  If you have won you are allowed to enter the sale before the queuers.  I've never won the raffle so I can't give you chapter and verse on what happens once you are inside the building but I believe that you are assigned a position within the top 50 and assembled into order.  You can then make your purchases having stolen a march on all those hardy queuers.  Good luck to you. 

What’s the best way to frame RCA secret cards?

I personally think that they should be framed so that the card can be viewed both front and back. A professional framer should be able to guide you on this, basically you can cut out a bit of the mount at the back to show the rear of the card and that all important signature. This can make the framed piece heavy if two pieces of glass are used, so consider using a piece of Perspex on the back, which is lighter.

Clearly the best way of protecting your cards is to make sure that the cards are conservation framed with UV glass. To make a real difference try using non-reflective glass.   Click here for details of our favourite framer.

How does the buying process work?

You can view the cards for a week before the sale day both in person at the college and online.

Don’t forget to register with the college in advance (there is no registration on the day of the sale) and then join the queue on the day of the sale. Make sure you have made a detailed list of the card numbers that you wish to purchase. Make this list as long as possible as many of your first choices are bound to be gone by the time that you get to the front of the queue.

Eventually you will be taken down to a room below the exhibition hall. There will be a bank of tills in the room and also a computer screen which will display the numbers and tiny images of the cards. The sold cards are indicated on the screen.

When you get to the front of the queue read out the card numbers to the cashier. Don’t worry if you haven’t noted whether a particular card is still available – they will tell you if it is not.

Once you have selected your four cards then pay for them and take your collection slip up to the gallery. There a runner will get the cards for you, confirm with you that they have the correct ones, and hand them to you. You can then check the back for the all important name.

How do the college keep it all a secret?

The college take this seriously. Whilst people have tried to suggest that the college must pass on information to others there is no foundation to this at all. The college are extremely fair in the way they deal with the sale. Only a very small number of people are aware of the identity of the artists.

How much are the cards worth?

The short answer is whatever people are prepared to pay for them. It is true that in recent times many of the cards in the sale have fetched large sums on the secondary market. A Peter Doig card went for £42,000 at auction and a Damien Hirst for £15,600.  Other Hirst cards have fetched much more modest sums on the secondary market. 

Save for the very top artists most of the cards are not worth that much money. Ebay sales of cards from previous sales show most selling for around their original cost.

This is really not about the money for most people – it is getting some affordable original art on people’s walls.

Who exhibits at RCA secret?

Of course there are the big names.Tracey Emin in particular has contributed to the sale year on year. Many other big names have contributed in the past – Gerhard Richter, Damien Hirst, John Baldessari, David Hockney, Paula Rego, Peter Doig, Frank Auerbach, Anish Kapoor, Glenn Brown etc etc.

For me RCA secret is not just about these big name contributors though. There are literally hundreds of well known, well established artists who regularly support the exhibition. The beauty of the show is buying something by one of these artists, taking it home, doing a search for that artist on google and then finding out about them and taking an interest in their career after that. RCA secret has introduced me to hundreds of artists that I wouldn’t ordinarily have come across. If you allow it to it will open up your eyes to a whole new realm of contemporary British art.

As for the students – well remember that the RCA is an exclusively post-graduate place of study. So these students have already spent a considerable amount of time immersed in the art world. Some of my favourite RCA secret cards are by students.

What do the college do with unsold cards?

There aren’t many. The college say that they are returned to the artist sometimes. In 2006 some of the 2005 cards made reappearances.

Where can I find out more about the artists?

Often you will get home, google the artist’s name and not find anything. Especially if they have a common name. Try emailing the college. They may hold the artists CV or a short biography that they will give to you.

How do I find out more about the show?

The RCA secret blog is a great start.  Check out the RCA Secret facebook group as well.  Also do try the RCA secret yahoo group. This has lots of files about previous shows, links to RCA secret articles on the net, photographs of previous years cards, lots of members (many of whom are contributing artists), a database of card sales on ebay and on auction houses and much much more. Finally there is an RCA secret forum.

Can I contribute to the blog?

Yes please. This is an unofficial fan’s blog. I want to have as many stories from you as to your RCA secret adventures. Whether you are a newbie or an RCA Secret veteran please do send me your stories and provided they are clean I will publish them, guaranteeing as much or as little as anonymity as you would wish. I’d also love to hear from artists who would like to write something about the processes involved in contributing to RCA secret.

Finally, will you tell me who did card number 129?

Er no, here to help but come on that would ruin the fun of it all. Besides you might be ahead of me in the queue.

More contributor news

According to this blog the following contributors have been confirmed for RCA secret 2010:

Olafur Eliasson, Sir Anthony Caro, John Baldessari, Yoko Ono, Andrzej Jackowski, Anthony Frost and Mary Fedden, fashion designers Mary Quant and Hardy Blechman, designers Sir Kenneth Adam and Ross Lovegrove and graphic designer Milton Glaser.

College sign up new RCA Secret sponsor

The college have today announced that Stewarts Law LLP will be sponsoring RCA Secret for the next 3 years.  Good for them.  Their names are added to the names of other sponsors of the event in the past - Absolut, Bowieart - perhaps there were others I can't remember?

First contributor news

The RCA have revealed news of the first contributors to the sale on the RCA secret facebook group.  Contributors this year include Yoko Ono, Olafur Eliasson, Sir Anthony Caro, and John Baldessari.  I don't believe that Sir Athony Caro has contributed to the sale before.   I'm sure there will be more exciting developments to come.

Sothebys to sell Paula Rego RCA secret card

Sothebys will be auctioning off a Paula Rego RCA secret card from the 2005 sale at their prestigious Contemporary Art Day Sale on 16 October 2010.  One of the best cards she has ever done, the estimate is £4,000 to £6,000 which is in my opinion a small price to pay for a miniature work of genius.  It's sure to attract lots of interest with many of the art worlds big players in town for the Frieze Art fair.  Above is a picture of the work in situ at the 2005 sale.  Click here to go directly to the auction.

Last years cards come down

Just a reminder that the college have said that last years cards will come down at the end of September.  Last chance to have another look at them then.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

There are many people for whom RCA secret is just a welcome distraction from their day to day life.  For them they go along to one of the viewing days, maybe buy some raffle tickets, will sometimes pitch up at the sale should depending on their schedule, the weather, whether they liked many of the cards etc.  Sometimes I kinda wish I was in that camp.

Because I will happily admit that I am a little bit obsessional about RCA secret.  About this time of year I can barely wait for it to start, I am, literally, counting down the days both in my head and out loud in conversations with anyone who is prepared to listen.  I need distractions and I love art so I put two and two together and start to prepare for the sale in earnest starting now.  And this is what I do:

1)  I go through all the cards on the RCA website from last year, reminding myself of the cards I loved, the cards I hated, the ones that got away, the surprise "sleepers" that I hadn't even noticed until some time after the sale, the ones that friends loved or bought.  It would be wrong to say that every card provokes a memory but many do. 

2)  I go see as much art as I can.  Actually this pretty much happens all year round anyway but coincidentally October is a great month for seeing art what with all the numerous art fairs going on in London and all the shows and auctions designed to coincide with those fairs.   So October sees me immersed in art.

3) The embarrassment of riches in the London art scene is such that you simply cannot see all the shows, or go to all of the fairs.  So the internet is a wonderful tool to enable us all to enjoy the things we love in a way that wasn't imaginable even at the turn of the century, when I first started going to RCA Secret.

4) Come November the press interest for RCA secret really hots up.  But of course it isn't just the written media, it's TV, it's blogs, it's twitter.  I will keep any eye on it all for you and report all of the articles I find on here.  And it is all the articles, I don't keep any good ones back for myself, or hide any tidbits I find out about the sale.  I make sure it is all here for you to read.

Right I'm off to do all that.  Starting with (1).  Don't forget the college has warned us that the 2009 cards will disappear from the website by the end of September. 

RCA secret style sale tonight

Apologies for the late notice but I have only just got wind of an RCA secret style sale tonight in aid of the Charity "Anno's Africa".  A real shame as if I'd known earlier I might have gone along.  Anyone in central london who fancies popping along all the details below.  I'm sure it will be worth going to as there are some good artists being sold including Jamie Shovlin and Jane & Louise Wilson.

All details below and here

Anno's Africa Charity Art Evening @ Sketch | Thursday, 9 Sept | 7-9pm

Dear Friends, You are warmly invited to join us for free drinks and music at the ANNO'S AFRICA charity art evening this Thursday, 9th September from 7-9pm in the Parlour Room at Sketch, 9 Conduit Street, London W1. We have received over 100 small works on paper generously donated by visual artists, architects, writers, actors, film makers and musicians which will be sold at the event. Below is a list of some of the contributors. In keeping with the Royal College of Art's annual postcard sale, works are to be made available for just £45 with artists names remaining anonymous until sold. Receipts will be drawn from a hat at 9pm on Thursday evening and people will be invited to choose a work in the order in which their number is called. Alternatively, individual works may be purchased from 7pm on the night for a "Buy It Now" price of £500. All proceeds to benefit the ANNO'S AFRICA arts programme in Nairobi. ANNO'S AFRICA is an arts educational charity set up by my stepmother Bee Gilbert in memory of my brother Anno Birkin. The charity brings facilities, workshops and teacher training programmes to orphans and vulnerable children living in some of the poorest and most deprived slums in Africa. The aim is to instil confidence by nurturing creative development and offering alternative qualifications to those who cannot afford school. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening. Very best wishes, David Birkin CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE Rana Begum - Mark Beldan - Jane Birkin - Karen Birkin - Tim Braden - Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin - Oliver Clegg - Justin Coombes - Daniel Craig - Benedict Cumberbatch - Shezad Dawood - Ed Fornieles - Eloise Fornieles - Lynne Fornieles - Victoria Fornieles - Nina Fowler - Hadley Freeman - Charlotte Gainsbourg - Miles Gibson - Margarita Gluzberg - Elisabeth Guss - Nick Hackworth - Leonora Hamill - Kate Hawkins - Maud Hewlings - Sir Ian Holm - Henry Hudson - John Hurt - Jeremy Hutchison - Linda Jephson - Felicity Jones - Laura K. Jones - Daniel Kelly - Idris Khan - Sophie Leris - Roger Lloyd Pack - Francesca Lowe - Kirstie MacLeod - Laura McLean-Ferris - Nicole Morris - Ross McNicol - Nathaniel Mellors - Seboo Migone - Polly Morgan - Annie Morris - Neil Morrissey - Samantha Morton - Orlando Mostyn - Nana Oforiatta-Ayim - Gosha Ostretsov - Guillaume Paris - Fyodor Pavlov-Andreevich - Lola Peploe - Benedetto Pietromarchi - Nathaniel Rackowe - Barry Reigate - Alan Rickman - Bruce Robinson - Anne Rothenstein - Isabelle Rowan - Greta Scacchi - Petroc Sesti - Conrad Shawcross - Jamie Shovlin - Holly Slingsby - David Tremlett - Tom Tykwer - Daisy de Villeneuve - Ben Washington - Honeysuckle Weeks - Douglas White - Amelia Whitelaw - Jane & Louise Wilson - Toby Ziegler CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Alan Rickman - Alexandra Hughes - Amelia Newton Whilelaw - Anne Rothenstein - Annette De Mestres - Annie Morris - Ben Washington - Benedict Cumberbatch - Bernd Lepel - Bidzina Kanchaveli - Bruce Robinson - Charles Dansy - Charlotte Gainsbourg - Charlotte Murray - Christine Nicholls - Conrad Shawcross - Craig Lylie - Daisy de Villeneuve - Daniel Craig - Daniel Kelly - David Birkin - David Tremlett - Elena Anikst - Eloise Fornieles - Emma Frost - Emma Frost - Flo Hall - Francesca Wilkinson Shaw - Gareth Brown - Gosha Ostretsov - Greta Scacchi - Guillaume Paris - Hadley Freeman - Hannah Hewitson - Holly Slingsby - Hugh Dunford Wood - Hugo Colville - Ian Holm - Idris Khan - Jamie Shovlin - Jane & Louise Wilson - Jane Birkin - Jehanne Markham - Jenny Seagrove - Jeremy Huchison - John Hurt - Joy Brown - Justin Coombes - Karen Birkin - Kirstie Macleod - Lalin Akalan - Laura Maclean-Ferris - Leonora Hamill - Linda Jephson - Lisa Guss - Liz Johnson - Lola Peploe - Lynne Fornieles - Margarita Gluzberg - Mariana Vutinen - Marie Steinmann - Mark Beldan - Marleen - Maud Hewlings - Max Blond - Mella Shaw - Miles Gibson - Nana Begum - Nana Offoriatta-Ayim - Nathaniel Mellors - Nathaniel Rackowe - Neil Morrissey - Nicole Morris - Nina Fowler - Olivia Blond - Olivia Temple - Orlando Mostyn - Peter Egan - Petroc Sesti - Pippa Hall - Rachel Berry - Roger Lloyd Pack - Rosie Emerson - Ross McNicol - Shezad Dawood - Silia Ka Tung - Simona Samuelson - Sophie Cundale - Sophie De Stempel - Sophie Leris - Sophie Windham - Stephen Gillon - Susan Wooldridge - Tim Braden - Toby Ziegler - Tom Tykwer - Vicky Fornieles - Virginia Hearth - Wen Wu

Your favourite card?

When I woke up this morning and wandered round the house looking at all my fantastic RCA secret cards it got me wondering which card is my favourite - which one would I save if the house was on fire?  A very difficult question as there are so many that I love, and so many that remind me of the particular year in my life that I got them.  Because there is an immense investment of time and energy put into acquiring these cards I think they somehow acquire a much greater significance than any other art I have. 

So I've thought about it hard but for purely sentimental reasons I am going to say that it has to be the card that started it all off in at my first RCA Secret sale in 2001.  By Richard Smith it really started me off on the path I have now travelled.  What's your favourite and why?

Blog redesign and twitter

So the blog has had a bit of a refresh, hope you like it?

Also you can now follow us on twitter by clicking here.  Hopefully closer to the sale there should be plenty of tweets as the excitement mounts.

Finally the rca secret website is now up and running where you can register as a purchaser if you haven't registered before.  Note that the exhibition is closed on Saturday 13 November.

College confirm dates and price increase

The college have now confirmed the dates of the 2010 exhibition (remember you heard it here first) as 12-19 November 2010 with the sale on the 20 November 2010.

There has also been a price increase of £5 on the cost of cards.  Each card is now £45.  I still think that represents pretty good value for money.

Full text here and below

RCA Secret is an annual contemporary art exhibition and sale consisting of around 2,500 original postcard-sized artworks, made and donated by professional artists, designers and illustrators, plus up-and-coming students from the Royal College of Art. The cards are all sold to the public in a huge sale, with every postcard costing just £45, regardless of whether it has been made by a famous name or a young art student.

What’s the Secret? Each postcard is signed on the back, so collectors don’t know the identity of the artist until they have made their purchase. Although it can help to know the difference between a drawing by Tracey Emin and a watercolour by David Hockney, a lot of it is down to pure luck and many collectors don’t realise whose work they have chosen until they hand over their cash on the sale day.
The RCA is grateful to receive enormous support from hundreds of leading international artists and designers who contribute to the event each year. Last year’s event included original, hand-made postcards by Gerhard Richter, Bill Viola, Julian Opie, Yoko Ono, Tracey Emin, Grayson Perry, David Bailey, fashion designers Paul Smith and Manolo Blahnik, and animator Nick Park to name just a few. Artists may choose to paint, draw, sketch or even produce a 3-d sculpture as long as it’s postcard-sized.
Potential collectors will be able to view all the postcards in person at the RCA in London or on-line at www.rca.ac.uk/secret from 12 November. All postcards go up for sale for one day only on Saturday 20 November at the RCA. Postcards can only be bought on a first come, first served basis, with no sealed bids or reservations in advance. There will also be a raffle for collectors to win a position in the first fifty places in the queue.
As well as being a fundraiser for the Fine Art students at the College, RCA Secret has a loyal following of supporters including regular collectors and art-lovers some of whom have been visiting the show since it began in 1994. It is not only one of the most popular events at the RCA, but has now become an established date in the British art calendar.
As in previous years all monies raised goes to the Royal College of Art Fine Art Student Award Fund. To date, sales of postcards have raised over
£1 million, helping hundreds of emerging artists at a formative stage in their careers.
RCA Secret 2010
Location: Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
Press View & photo-call: 11 November, 10am – 12 noon.
Viewing Days:12 - 19 November, 11am - 6pm daily (late night opening until 8pm on 18 November)
Sale Day: 20 November, from 8am – 6pm.
Free admission.

A postcard buy led to this....

Here is a great story arising out of the 2009 sale.  Crystal Bennes, director of Salon (london) bought a postcard at the 2009 show by rca graduate Noemie Goudal.  Anyway she like the postcard so much that she is exhibiting it, together with other work by Goudal at an exhibition at 97 clerkenwell road starting in late june.

Here are all the details courtesy of spoonfed 

SALON (LONDON) returns this year with a really rather smashing idea. Director Crystal Bennes bought a work from last year's RCA Secret (you know, that exhibition where you can buy artists' postcards but you don't know who they're by) and then challenged the artist she 'chose' to come up with a solo show.

The artist selected turned out not to be Damien Hirst or Gerhard Richter (fortunately) but Noemie Goudal, who's recently graduated from the RCA with an MA in photography. We saw her work in the exhibition curated by Jotta at last year's Affordable Art Fair, and it's wicked: complex, layered and laden with latent with drama.

In addition to new work by Goudal, there's also the original postcard on display alongside a video documenting the whole process.

Until 06.07.10.

Save the date!!

A little bird tells me that RCA Secret 2010 will run from Friday 12 November to Saturday 20th November with the sale on saturday.  So remember you heard it here first!