Monday, August 14, 2006
Another secret sale
This one is in Cincinnati for those readers of this blog from across the pond. Looks like a good cause as well. Click on Artworks Cincinnati for more details.
RCA secret 2006 announced
The RCA Secret sale has been announced by the RCA. Click here to go to the original article (or it is reproduced below).
Two points to note. Firstly they have
not said that camping in banned, merely that it is discouraged. This
is the same sort of language that was being used last year.
Secondly the sale date has been moved to a Saturday. If they wanted to
reduce the amount of queueing etc it seems to me that this is not the
way to do it. The queue was kept shorter because a lot of people
couldn't make the sale due to work commitments. That is now not the
case.
Personally I see no reason why the RCA shouldn't make as much money
from the sale as possible and it therefore makes sense to move it to
Saturday. It does mean the queue will be longer though...
Also what is the point of the second day of the sale? With the first
day of the sale being Saturday surely nothing will be left by Sunday.
I have been there at 6pm on a Friday before and there is hardly
anything left.
Perry
-----------------
RCA Secret was initiated in 1994 and has become an annual exhibition and sale of postcard sized works of art. Each year hundreds of artists including established and up and coming names, create unique pieces of art which the public can buy for just £35 each. As in previous years all monies raised go to the Royal College of Art Fine Art Student Award Fund, which helps support emerging artists during their time at the College. To date, sales of postcards have raised over £650,000 for the Fund.
Of course it’s not quite that simple. Each artwork has a number but remains a secret until the buyer has handed over their money and the artist's signature is revealed on the back.
Support for RCA Secret has grown over the years and the list of artists who have contributed to the event reads like a Who’s Who of the artworld – from Damien Hirst, Bill Viola and Tracey Emin to David Hockney, Julian Opie and Paula Rego. And the best thing of all is, even if you don’t spot a postcard by a well-known name this time, you could go home with a star of the future. Many of the contributing artists are current students or recent graduates of the Royal College of Art along with other leading art colleges, destined to go on to big things. The only piece of advice we offer is: choose something because you like it. Anything else is just a bonus.
Here are some frequently asked questions which may help:
When can I view the postcards?
Postcards can be viewed at the Royal College of Art on the following dates:
17-23 November: 10am-6pm daily and 24 November: 10am-8pm
Potential buyers will also be able to view all the postcards on-line from the first day of the show at www.rca.ac.uk. This means that buyers living outside London only need to make one visit on the sale days.
When can I buy the postcards?
Postcards can only be bought on the allocated sale days in person. The sale days this year are:
Saturday 25 November: 8am to 8pm
Sunday 26 November: 10am to 4pm
Postcards are sold strictly on a first come, first served basis, they can't be reserved in advance and there are no sealed bids or auctions.
A maximum of 4 cards can be bought per person.
How do I become a buyer?
Potential buyers need to pre-register before the sale days. This is to make the sales process much quicker. You can register in person during the viewing days or by email: secret@rca.ac.uk. You will be given a registration number which you must bring with you on sale day.
What methods of payment do you accept?
Cash, cheque, debit and credit card.
What if I don't get the cards I have picked?
It is always a good idea to have alternative numbers of cards in case your first choices have been bought. Please keep a note of the numbers you would like to buy.
How long will I have to queue on sale day?
RCA Secret is very popular and the first day will be very busy. Try and come down an hour or two before the doors open at 8am. Please do not be tempted to camp outside the building as the College cannot take any responsibility for your health and safety. As it will be November please wear warm clothes or bring a blanket. Once the doors open the process moves fairly quickly and the queue usually subsides by about 12 noon.
Do all the best cards go in the first few hours?
Alot of the cards do sell quickly in the morning but many cards are usually still available in the afternoon and the next day. Please don't be discouraged if you can only come in the afternoon - you may be surprised how many big names are left!
Can I return the cards if I don't like them?
We will only make a refund if there has been a genuine mistake made and you have received incorrectly numbered cards.
Good luck!
Two points to note. Firstly they have
not said that camping in banned, merely that it is discouraged. This
is the same sort of language that was being used last year.
Secondly the sale date has been moved to a Saturday. If they wanted to
reduce the amount of queueing etc it seems to me that this is not the
way to do it. The queue was kept shorter because a lot of people
couldn't make the sale due to work commitments. That is now not the
case.
Personally I see no reason why the RCA shouldn't make as much money
from the sale as possible and it therefore makes sense to move it to
Saturday. It does mean the queue will be longer though...
Also what is the point of the second day of the sale? With the first
day of the sale being Saturday surely nothing will be left by Sunday.
I have been there at 6pm on a Friday before and there is hardly
anything left.
Perry
-----------------
RCA Secret was initiated in 1994 and has become an annual exhibition and sale of postcard sized works of art. Each year hundreds of artists including established and up and coming names, create unique pieces of art which the public can buy for just £35 each. As in previous years all monies raised go to the Royal College of Art Fine Art Student Award Fund, which helps support emerging artists during their time at the College. To date, sales of postcards have raised over £650,000 for the Fund.
Of course it’s not quite that simple. Each artwork has a number but remains a secret until the buyer has handed over their money and the artist's signature is revealed on the back.
Support for RCA Secret has grown over the years and the list of artists who have contributed to the event reads like a Who’s Who of the artworld – from Damien Hirst, Bill Viola and Tracey Emin to David Hockney, Julian Opie and Paula Rego. And the best thing of all is, even if you don’t spot a postcard by a well-known name this time, you could go home with a star of the future. Many of the contributing artists are current students or recent graduates of the Royal College of Art along with other leading art colleges, destined to go on to big things. The only piece of advice we offer is: choose something because you like it. Anything else is just a bonus.
Here are some frequently asked questions which may help:
When can I view the postcards?
Postcards can be viewed at the Royal College of Art on the following dates:
17-23 November: 10am-6pm daily and 24 November: 10am-8pm
Potential buyers will also be able to view all the postcards on-line from the first day of the show at www.rca.ac.uk. This means that buyers living outside London only need to make one visit on the sale days.
When can I buy the postcards?
Postcards can only be bought on the allocated sale days in person. The sale days this year are:
Saturday 25 November: 8am to 8pm
Sunday 26 November: 10am to 4pm
Postcards are sold strictly on a first come, first served basis, they can't be reserved in advance and there are no sealed bids or auctions.
A maximum of 4 cards can be bought per person.
How do I become a buyer?
Potential buyers need to pre-register before the sale days. This is to make the sales process much quicker. You can register in person during the viewing days or by email: secret@rca.ac.uk. You will be given a registration number which you must bring with you on sale day.
What methods of payment do you accept?
Cash, cheque, debit and credit card.
What if I don't get the cards I have picked?
It is always a good idea to have alternative numbers of cards in case your first choices have been bought. Please keep a note of the numbers you would like to buy.
How long will I have to queue on sale day?
RCA Secret is very popular and the first day will be very busy. Try and come down an hour or two before the doors open at 8am. Please do not be tempted to camp outside the building as the College cannot take any responsibility for your health and safety. As it will be November please wear warm clothes or bring a blanket. Once the doors open the process moves fairly quickly and the queue usually subsides by about 12 noon.
Do all the best cards go in the first few hours?
Alot of the cards do sell quickly in the morning but many cards are usually still available in the afternoon and the next day. Please don't be discouraged if you can only come in the afternoon - you may be surprised how many big names are left!
Can I return the cards if I don't like them?
We will only make a refund if there has been a genuine mistake made and you have received incorrectly numbered cards.
Good luck!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Music as therapy secret postcard show
News of another secret postcard show hit me recently. This is the secret postcard show from the small but perfectly formed london based charity Music as Therapy.
The show featured postcards donated by artists which, true to form were anonymous on the front and were signed on the back. They cost the familiar sum of £35. You only get to find out the identity of the artist once you buy the postcard. Sound familiar?
The postcards are still available for viewing online.
Unfortunately this is written in the past tense as the sale has sadly come and gone. The friendly organisers tell me, however, that they are planning another sale next year and will keep me posted on the when and the where. The first sale was a great success and raised over £2,500. When I know the date of the next sale I will let you know. In the meantime I'm sure the charity would be happy for anyone's support.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
RCA Summer Show review
On Sunday I went along to Part 1 of the Royal College of Art Summer show for graduating students.
As usual the college has put on a highly professional show which is well signed and a pleasure to walk round. The catalogue (both online and in print) is also well written and produced. Other art schools could really learn a thing or two from the way in which the RCA put on their show.
There were many highlights for me but to sum up a few of them:
Abigail Smith (painting) - beautiful, thought provoking intimately woven embroidered silk tapestries depicting what at first sight would appear to be traditional mythological scenes but look closer and you will see hints of a darker sexual nature. For me the highlight of the painting show.
Ursula Llewellyn (painting) - nude men, deceptive scales, well executed.
Brigida Mendes (photography) Original photos of old women - visual tricks with shadow and perception. In my opinion head and shoulders above the other photography offerings.
Ulrich Gebert (photography) much has been made of this talented young german artist. He shunned photography to produce a thought provoking piece on genetically modified crops and seeds. Well worth a second look.
Duncan Cook (Photography) this appealed to the scientist in me - pictures of marbles set up to look like the planets. Fun.
Nick Turvey (Glass) quite stunning pieces of coloured glass in all sorts of different tactile curves. I would have gone home with one of Nick's pieces if I could afford it!
Olivia Lowe absolutely beautiful silver vases for single stemmed flowers. Stunning. How do you put the water in though?
Adam Bridgland (printmaking) quirky 1950's style prints advertising a more wholesome time. Not totally original but well executed, quirky and amusing.
Well those are just some of the highlights but I would strongly suggest that you go along and see it for yourself. There is plenty of interesting stuff.
As usual the college has put on a highly professional show which is well signed and a pleasure to walk round. The catalogue (both online and in print) is also well written and produced. Other art schools could really learn a thing or two from the way in which the RCA put on their show.
There were many highlights for me but to sum up a few of them:
Abigail Smith (painting) - beautiful, thought provoking intimately woven embroidered silk tapestries depicting what at first sight would appear to be traditional mythological scenes but look closer and you will see hints of a darker sexual nature. For me the highlight of the painting show.
Ursula Llewellyn (painting) - nude men, deceptive scales, well executed.
Brigida Mendes (photography) Original photos of old women - visual tricks with shadow and perception. In my opinion head and shoulders above the other photography offerings.
Ulrich Gebert (photography) much has been made of this talented young german artist. He shunned photography to produce a thought provoking piece on genetically modified crops and seeds. Well worth a second look.
Duncan Cook (Photography) this appealed to the scientist in me - pictures of marbles set up to look like the planets. Fun.
Nick Turvey (Glass) quite stunning pieces of coloured glass in all sorts of different tactile curves. I would have gone home with one of Nick's pieces if I could afford it!
Olivia Lowe absolutely beautiful silver vases for single stemmed flowers. Stunning. How do you put the water in though?
Adam Bridgland (printmaking) quirky 1950's style prints advertising a more wholesome time. Not totally original but well executed, quirky and amusing.
Well those are just some of the highlights but I would strongly suggest that you go along and see it for yourself. There is plenty of interesting stuff.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
RCA Show starts soon
The round of Art School summer shows has started with the Scuplture show at the Royal College of art starting on 25 May and the show Part 1 starting on 26 May 2006. Of all the Art school summer shows I find this one to be the most professionally run and an absolute pleasure to attend. It is also great for RCA secret research as many of the students showing will subsequently submit cards for the sale.
There is so much to see you could be there all day. The RCA have set up a dedicated website for the show.
Click here to be taken to it.
There is so much to see you could be there all day. The RCA have set up a dedicated website for the show.
Click here to be taken to it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Postcards from the Edgy
Here is is an article originally published in the independent in 2003:
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGY
Each year, the Royal College of Art sells `postcards' at pounds 35 each to raise money for its students. Most are by unknown artists, but a few are by the biggest names in the business. Caroline Wingfield meets the buyers who got lucky Portraits by Martin Salter
Caroline Wingfield
TIM SMITH
LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANT
"We only went once. I was supposed to be taking my two daughters Eppie (5) and India (2) to a swimming lesson but I thought: sod it! We were really in debt and we're really into art so instead I took them along to the exhibition. I said they could have a postcard each. India kept veering towards one postcard in particular and trying to pick it off the wall. As you can imagine the staff were getting a bit paranoid about it: there were no other children in there. I had a vague glance at it, wrote the number down and that was it really. It turned out to be the Damien Hirst severed finger (right). It's a red and black pen and ink drawing of a finger in a pool of blood. I suppose I was quite disturbed by the fact that she chose it, it's a strong image. I was just really surprised, and really pleased. We haven't mounted it yet, it's still down in the cellar. We were thinking of selling it because we haven't got much money. We had it valued at about pounds 900. I wouldn't sell it at that price, no way; we'll need to keep it for a few more years - it's not worth enough yet. But to be honest, I don't really want to sell it. What I'd like to do is pass it on to India as a legacy when she's 18. I want her to appreciate art: I think she does already!
I like it, yeah, of course I do, but I'd have liked it anyway, without knowing it was by him. I do generally like Hirst's art, I like the spots and the animals in formaldehyde; it makes you think about what they are, why he did it. It stimulates the brain and I like that aspect of it.
In a way, it has made me more interested in art. I work in a school and they've put me in the art department. That's partly because I used to be a lighting designer, but I get to look at lots of art books to get ideas; I help plan some work for some of the kids. The art tutors know we own the Hirst, but I haven't told anyone else.
I would like to go back to the exhibition, but I'd only go back to buy something I liked, I wouldn't go to gamble. I wouldn't deliberately go to try and get an artwork for nothing - I'd go to get a nice postcard. We were just lucky."
JUSTINE BELCHER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
"I like the fact that it's affordable; you could get something by someone who is famous, or who might be famous in the future, and it could be worth a lot of money. I was working in the college shop and was there for the very first show. I particularly wanted to get a postcard by Bryan Kneale, who was professor of drawing at the time, so I went for his style. He's not the biggest name but he's a Royal Academician and his work sells for thousands of pounds, so to be able to buy a piece of his work for a relatively small amount of money was amazing. I think that's the wonderful thing about it. I used to queue but I find it a bit stressful actually. I think the earliest I went was 1am and it was freezing, there were no loos or anything.
There's that whole thing of: `Are there dealers here?' People get paranoid that not everyone is playing fair. You're standing there for hours talking about all sorts of stuff, but people don't want to divulge their numbers, just in case somebody in front of you buys what you want. It's all a bit cloak-and-dagger - it's a terribly serious business. I've bought an Elizabeth Blackadder, four John Bellanys and an Anna Maria Pacheco, which is gorgeous. I also have ones by various artists who aren't well known but they're just lovely pictures. It's so important to go for what you like. The nice thing is to wander, I always go and have a look, if there's anything I really fancy I might put myself out for it. But it's quite an investment in time and commitment, and there's the fact that you might not get it. One year I was disappointed, I didn't get all the numbers I wanted but then you have your back ups! It sounds crazy. I think my friends thought I was mad queuing for hours and getting so worked up about it. Now, having seen what I got, I think there's a bit of: `Oh I wish I'd done it, too'." f
WILLIAM HACKMAN
RECENT GRADUATE
"I've been up in the top ten of the queue pretty much every year. Before I set up camp I go to the White Cube Gallery, down Cork Street, and look on the internet to refresh my memory and see what the artists are up to. I'm not an expert, it's not residual knowledge, it's all crammed. I've been successful in that I've got what I've liked. I've got one Damien Hirst, which took me two guesses to get. That's the problem really: you have a limited number of choices, so do you risk it and go for the Hirst when he's notorious for being difficult to spot? I've gone for Cecil Rogers, Terry Frost (right), Ellie Howitt, Mary Fedden. I've just come out of university so for me it's a chance to acquire original art which I'd never be able to afford. Sometimes I buy limited-edition prints from the Serpentine. I'm interested in art and I paint oils and acrylics. I made a mistake the first couple of years, trying to go for the big names all the time - I guessed wrong or I was fooled by a current RCA student doing a good impression.
The atmosphere in the queue is really good, everyone's friendly, and we're like-minded in that we all appreciate art so there's common ground. We're quite reasonable too, you can go off for a few hours, do some shopping, get a bite to eat. You don't have to be there rigidly for the whole day; as long as you're there for the night. One year a couple from overseas put two chairs outside and went off to spend the night in a hotel. They were first but the regulars arrived and moved the chairs. If you're not going to stay the night then it's not on. I suppose there are rivalries. Sometimes number one and number two will declare which ones they're after because they know they'll get them. People lower down are always trying to get information. I can't be bothered with all of that so I just make up numbers and really confuse them all. This year I'm not going to do a single bit of research, and just go for what I like. Who knows - I might get a complete unknown who might be big in the future. If you're going to hang it up on the wall, you might as well like it and enjoy it."
CARLOS BRIONES
FOREIGN EXCHANGE OPERATIONS MANAGER
"The first time I went was in about 1997 when I bought an Ellie Howitt. I'd seen it on the front page of a magazine and it caught my attention. After that I read all the articles about the RCA sale and decided I would go along, but get there early. I queued up for two nights. I didn't have a tent at the time so I camped in a deck chair.
I have had a couple of disappointments but I haven't sold any of my postcards and I never would. I have more than 20 in my collection. One of my successes was Mary Fedden's The Melon. I didn't know her at the time, but I liked the picture so much I bought it. I did some research afterwards and to my astonishment found she was very famous. I've been buying her postcards ever since and I now have four. She is definitely my favourite. I also have the last postcard submitted by Terry Frost.
One year I bought three Nick Parks and had my photograph taken for the newspaper. My boss saw me and was really surprised; he had no idea what I'd been doing - I'd just taken the time off as holiday. He said, `You're mad queuing up for 62 hours' - I think I must be. I've bought a small tent for myself this year. As soon as the door opens you'll find me right at the front of the queue. It's fun, as the day comes for queuing up I feel excited, it's a new challenge every year. Once I'm in the queue and the sale starts to get nearer I get a feeling of relief that the day is coming. The ambience is very good, the people are very friendly and we look after one another." f
PETER SARGENT
RETIRED
"Various people have advised over the years to go for what you like, as opposed to going for the artist. If it isn't by them, it's disappointing because you haven't got what you thought you'd got - and is it worth looking at in its own right?
In the past a lot of my hobbies have been competitive. I found the proposition of the RCA show a challenge to what little knowledge I had, and I liked the possibility of a treasure hunt. 1999 was a big year: I was first in the queue. It's always a matter of guess-work: too early and you freeze for more nights than necessary, too late and you're not first. I did three days and two nights. I bought a Peter Howson and he's since become one of my favourites. In 2002 I got the Paula Rego: I was first in the queue again, but this time I went crazy. I thought I've got to do something that nobody else can beat, I'm going to get there first. I did eight days and nights. Although in the real depths of night you find cold coming up from below, generally speaking the air temperatures have been very kind. I'm not going to say how long I'll be camping out this year because there is this competitive situation, you don't want to give away your secrets. You need two things in your favour: a bit of understanding, so you can learn what to like, and a high position in the queue. The make- up of people definitely affects what activities they do, and that competitive urge is something that for good or ill I seem to have.
I spend a lot of time going round all the galleries and I take loads of newspaper clippings with me. It's a combination of my intense interest in the subject, which has lead me to study for an Open University degree in the arts, and knowledge for the forthcoming show. I got caught out one year by an artist who was doing very good impersonations of Terry Frost. I thought, `OK, you learn'. I was a bit put out because I wanted to own a Terry Frost like I wanted to own a Paula Rego. It's the connection you make with the artist. One thing I love about the exhibition is the young artists as they are still forming and changing."
GILL NOCK
MANAGER,
THE RCA SHOP
"The first year was incredible, you could just go in and choose. It's extremely competitive now and I'm afraid queuing for a week is beyond me. I do go in after it's all calmed down and you can still find some really good artists. I've only ever bought what I really like, because if you're caught out what's the point? I don't look at it as an investment, it's only for my own personal collection. Working in the shop means I've got to know certain students' work and I've often bought them, not because they're worth anything, but because they're very good painters.
My two favourites are an Anna Maria Pacheco and Nicola Hicks. The most well-known one I've got is a John Bellany, but I wouldn't necessarily say it was my favourite. I have to admit I did buy that because I knew it was his and I thought it would be a nice thing to say you owned. I am still pleased with it, and it's a good talking point; people instantly recognise it because it's `woman with fish on head'.
Listening to conversations in the queue you can tell some people do go there to strike gold, but I'd like to think the excitement of getting something they really like would take over in the end. You don't have to be an art buyer, you don't have to have a lot of money. If you've got a good eye, whatever you buy, so long as you like it, is worth buying for pounds 35. It's cheaper than buying a print. I think it's the most amazing opportunity. I hope it makes people feel more comfortable about looking at and buying art."
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGY
Each year, the Royal College of Art sells `postcards' at pounds 35 each to raise money for its students. Most are by unknown artists, but a few are by the biggest names in the business. Caroline Wingfield meets the buyers who got lucky Portraits by Martin Salter
Caroline Wingfield
TIM SMITH
LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANT
"We only went once. I was supposed to be taking my two daughters Eppie (5) and India (2) to a swimming lesson but I thought: sod it! We were really in debt and we're really into art so instead I took them along to the exhibition. I said they could have a postcard each. India kept veering towards one postcard in particular and trying to pick it off the wall. As you can imagine the staff were getting a bit paranoid about it: there were no other children in there. I had a vague glance at it, wrote the number down and that was it really. It turned out to be the Damien Hirst severed finger (right). It's a red and black pen and ink drawing of a finger in a pool of blood. I suppose I was quite disturbed by the fact that she chose it, it's a strong image. I was just really surprised, and really pleased. We haven't mounted it yet, it's still down in the cellar. We were thinking of selling it because we haven't got much money. We had it valued at about pounds 900. I wouldn't sell it at that price, no way; we'll need to keep it for a few more years - it's not worth enough yet. But to be honest, I don't really want to sell it. What I'd like to do is pass it on to India as a legacy when she's 18. I want her to appreciate art: I think she does already!
I like it, yeah, of course I do, but I'd have liked it anyway, without knowing it was by him. I do generally like Hirst's art, I like the spots and the animals in formaldehyde; it makes you think about what they are, why he did it. It stimulates the brain and I like that aspect of it.
In a way, it has made me more interested in art. I work in a school and they've put me in the art department. That's partly because I used to be a lighting designer, but I get to look at lots of art books to get ideas; I help plan some work for some of the kids. The art tutors know we own the Hirst, but I haven't told anyone else.
I would like to go back to the exhibition, but I'd only go back to buy something I liked, I wouldn't go to gamble. I wouldn't deliberately go to try and get an artwork for nothing - I'd go to get a nice postcard. We were just lucky."
JUSTINE BELCHER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
"I like the fact that it's affordable; you could get something by someone who is famous, or who might be famous in the future, and it could be worth a lot of money. I was working in the college shop and was there for the very first show. I particularly wanted to get a postcard by Bryan Kneale, who was professor of drawing at the time, so I went for his style. He's not the biggest name but he's a Royal Academician and his work sells for thousands of pounds, so to be able to buy a piece of his work for a relatively small amount of money was amazing. I think that's the wonderful thing about it. I used to queue but I find it a bit stressful actually. I think the earliest I went was 1am and it was freezing, there were no loos or anything.
There's that whole thing of: `Are there dealers here?' People get paranoid that not everyone is playing fair. You're standing there for hours talking about all sorts of stuff, but people don't want to divulge their numbers, just in case somebody in front of you buys what you want. It's all a bit cloak-and-dagger - it's a terribly serious business. I've bought an Elizabeth Blackadder, four John Bellanys and an Anna Maria Pacheco, which is gorgeous. I also have ones by various artists who aren't well known but they're just lovely pictures. It's so important to go for what you like. The nice thing is to wander, I always go and have a look, if there's anything I really fancy I might put myself out for it. But it's quite an investment in time and commitment, and there's the fact that you might not get it. One year I was disappointed, I didn't get all the numbers I wanted but then you have your back ups! It sounds crazy. I think my friends thought I was mad queuing for hours and getting so worked up about it. Now, having seen what I got, I think there's a bit of: `Oh I wish I'd done it, too'." f
WILLIAM HACKMAN
RECENT GRADUATE
"I've been up in the top ten of the queue pretty much every year. Before I set up camp I go to the White Cube Gallery, down Cork Street, and look on the internet to refresh my memory and see what the artists are up to. I'm not an expert, it's not residual knowledge, it's all crammed. I've been successful in that I've got what I've liked. I've got one Damien Hirst, which took me two guesses to get. That's the problem really: you have a limited number of choices, so do you risk it and go for the Hirst when he's notorious for being difficult to spot? I've gone for Cecil Rogers, Terry Frost (right), Ellie Howitt, Mary Fedden. I've just come out of university so for me it's a chance to acquire original art which I'd never be able to afford. Sometimes I buy limited-edition prints from the Serpentine. I'm interested in art and I paint oils and acrylics. I made a mistake the first couple of years, trying to go for the big names all the time - I guessed wrong or I was fooled by a current RCA student doing a good impression.
The atmosphere in the queue is really good, everyone's friendly, and we're like-minded in that we all appreciate art so there's common ground. We're quite reasonable too, you can go off for a few hours, do some shopping, get a bite to eat. You don't have to be there rigidly for the whole day; as long as you're there for the night. One year a couple from overseas put two chairs outside and went off to spend the night in a hotel. They were first but the regulars arrived and moved the chairs. If you're not going to stay the night then it's not on. I suppose there are rivalries. Sometimes number one and number two will declare which ones they're after because they know they'll get them. People lower down are always trying to get information. I can't be bothered with all of that so I just make up numbers and really confuse them all. This year I'm not going to do a single bit of research, and just go for what I like. Who knows - I might get a complete unknown who might be big in the future. If you're going to hang it up on the wall, you might as well like it and enjoy it."
CARLOS BRIONES
FOREIGN EXCHANGE OPERATIONS MANAGER
"The first time I went was in about 1997 when I bought an Ellie Howitt. I'd seen it on the front page of a magazine and it caught my attention. After that I read all the articles about the RCA sale and decided I would go along, but get there early. I queued up for two nights. I didn't have a tent at the time so I camped in a deck chair.
I have had a couple of disappointments but I haven't sold any of my postcards and I never would. I have more than 20 in my collection. One of my successes was Mary Fedden's The Melon. I didn't know her at the time, but I liked the picture so much I bought it. I did some research afterwards and to my astonishment found she was very famous. I've been buying her postcards ever since and I now have four. She is definitely my favourite. I also have the last postcard submitted by Terry Frost.
One year I bought three Nick Parks and had my photograph taken for the newspaper. My boss saw me and was really surprised; he had no idea what I'd been doing - I'd just taken the time off as holiday. He said, `You're mad queuing up for 62 hours' - I think I must be. I've bought a small tent for myself this year. As soon as the door opens you'll find me right at the front of the queue. It's fun, as the day comes for queuing up I feel excited, it's a new challenge every year. Once I'm in the queue and the sale starts to get nearer I get a feeling of relief that the day is coming. The ambience is very good, the people are very friendly and we look after one another." f
PETER SARGENT
RETIRED
"Various people have advised over the years to go for what you like, as opposed to going for the artist. If it isn't by them, it's disappointing because you haven't got what you thought you'd got - and is it worth looking at in its own right?
In the past a lot of my hobbies have been competitive. I found the proposition of the RCA show a challenge to what little knowledge I had, and I liked the possibility of a treasure hunt. 1999 was a big year: I was first in the queue. It's always a matter of guess-work: too early and you freeze for more nights than necessary, too late and you're not first. I did three days and two nights. I bought a Peter Howson and he's since become one of my favourites. In 2002 I got the Paula Rego: I was first in the queue again, but this time I went crazy. I thought I've got to do something that nobody else can beat, I'm going to get there first. I did eight days and nights. Although in the real depths of night you find cold coming up from below, generally speaking the air temperatures have been very kind. I'm not going to say how long I'll be camping out this year because there is this competitive situation, you don't want to give away your secrets. You need two things in your favour: a bit of understanding, so you can learn what to like, and a high position in the queue. The make- up of people definitely affects what activities they do, and that competitive urge is something that for good or ill I seem to have.
I spend a lot of time going round all the galleries and I take loads of newspaper clippings with me. It's a combination of my intense interest in the subject, which has lead me to study for an Open University degree in the arts, and knowledge for the forthcoming show. I got caught out one year by an artist who was doing very good impersonations of Terry Frost. I thought, `OK, you learn'. I was a bit put out because I wanted to own a Terry Frost like I wanted to own a Paula Rego. It's the connection you make with the artist. One thing I love about the exhibition is the young artists as they are still forming and changing."
GILL NOCK
MANAGER,
THE RCA SHOP
"The first year was incredible, you could just go in and choose. It's extremely competitive now and I'm afraid queuing for a week is beyond me. I do go in after it's all calmed down and you can still find some really good artists. I've only ever bought what I really like, because if you're caught out what's the point? I don't look at it as an investment, it's only for my own personal collection. Working in the shop means I've got to know certain students' work and I've often bought them, not because they're worth anything, but because they're very good painters.
My two favourites are an Anna Maria Pacheco and Nicola Hicks. The most well-known one I've got is a John Bellany, but I wouldn't necessarily say it was my favourite. I have to admit I did buy that because I knew it was his and I thought it would be a nice thing to say you owned. I am still pleased with it, and it's a good talking point; people instantly recognise it because it's `woman with fish on head'.
Listening to conversations in the queue you can tell some people do go there to strike gold, but I'd like to think the excitement of getting something they really like would take over in the end. You don't have to be an art buyer, you don't have to have a lot of money. If you've got a good eye, whatever you buy, so long as you like it, is worth buying for pounds 35. It's cheaper than buying a print. I think it's the most amazing opportunity. I hope it makes people feel more comfortable about looking at and buying art."
Having a wonderful time, wish you were sol le witt
Here is an old but very interesting article about Secret 2003 originally published in the New York Times:
LONDON WHEN I became an art historian, my mother decided that my only hope for financial security was to stumble on a Rembrandt at a garage sale. Last weekend was my chance. The Royal College of Art was holding its 10th annual R.C.A. Secret, an exhibition and fund-raiser that has become the best-loved gamble in British collecting.
The show features more than 2,000 postcard-size works by unknowns and genuine stars, including Sol LeWitt, Christo, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and the designer Alexander McQueen. The catch: none of the works are labeled. They all cost $60; you buy what you like, or what you think you can identify, but you don't find out what you've got until it's yours -- it's signed on the back.
The event has become so popular with bargain-hunting art lovers that people start camping out days in advance; the doors open to a crowd of hundreds. Clearly, to find my modern masterpiece I would have to get a very early start. My friends may have 401(k)'s, but I had a borrowed tent and a stack of degrees that say I can spot a Sol LeWitt at 30 paces.
Tuesday's preview was discouraging -- I saw nothing I thought was a LeWitt, just a dozen sloppy student attempts at minimalism. The Tracey Emins were obvious and strangely beautiful -- raw drawings of naked women. Surely they would be gone in a jiffy. The Christos were the biggest disappointment -- souvenir postcards of his famous projects, some of which, returning buyers told me, were the same as last year.
On Wednesday, after a research trip to some galleries, I decided to focus on two "breaking" artists: Grayson Perry and Sophie von Hellerman. Mr. Perry, a finalist for this year's Turner Prize, makes large ceramic vessels covered with dark, witty, sexually provocative drawings. He also has a transvestite alter ego named Claire. I was pretty sure I had spotted his postcards: a village scene made up entirely of penises and a portrait of a girl with blonde pigtails -- and hairy arms.
Ms. von Hellerman, a recent graduate of the Royal College of Art, creates large, moody canvases, sketching a scene with a few bold lines and washes of color. A natural storyteller, she was given her first solo show in 2001 by Charles Saatchi. Three loose watercolors in shades of black, blue and rusty pink were perfect examples of her style.
On Wednesday night, I pitched camp, 12th in line, to await the Friday sale. I expected to find myself surrounded by 21-year-old art students in search of famous artists. In fact, most of the hard-core campers were closer to 50 than 20 and were looking not for today's megastars, but for more traditional British artists -- Mary Fedden, Eileen Cooper, Peter Blake.
Austin Clarke, 53, flew in from Northern Ireland and camped for five nights to be first in line. Last year he'd gone home with a Damien Hirst. "It's a buzz," he admitted. "Brings out the kid in you." And he admired his competition: "These guys are an education. They don't have the money to buy the big stuff, but they know their art."
The elder statesman of the group was Peter Sargent, 74, a London suburbanite with cropped white hair and dressed in purple Gore-Tex. He had been coming to the sale since 1997. Last year he camped out for eight nights to be first in line for a postcard by the Portuguese artist Paula Rego.
Benjamin, 20, an American student of political science who declined to give his last name, had wedged himself in at No. 4. "There's some Machiavellian stuff behind the scenes," he said, "but in the end, gentlemen's rules apply. It's very civilized." Indeed. Each participant can buy only five cards. It turned out that Nos. 1, 2 and 3 all wanted Sol LeWitts and Mary Feddens. Instead of No. 1 hogging the goods, they decided to take one each.
Around 11 p.m., I settled in to get some sleep. Mummified in six layers, I could see my breath.
Thursday morning, trouble arrived in the form of a handsome law student, No. 20, who was wild about Mr. Perry. He spent the morning telling everyone how he had to have one. I suggested that he might be better off keeping his enthusiasm to himself. He ignored me, and by the end of the day, I was pretty sure the Perrys had been publicized beyond my reach. Happily, no one mentioned Ms. von Hellerman.
Thursday night was Thanksgiving; my friend Courtney brought me a piece of pumpkin pie at midnight. By that time I had refined my list: praying for the Perrys, confident of the von Hellermans and, just in case, a consolation prize -- a beautifully painted card by an unknown artist.
On Friday morning we lined up in front of six computers and two flat screens displaying a rolling list of numbers, which turned red when the postcard in question had been sold. As I moved up the line, I saw the Emins go. Then the first Grayson Perry was gone. A pause. I was almost there when the second one flashed red on the screen; No. 11, who 24 hours ago showed no interest in the Turner Prize nominee, went home with my phallic village.
I walked away with the three von Hellermans, a Nick Park for my husband's Christmas present and a sketch by Stephen Jones, a British hat designer, for Courtney, my midnight pumpkin fairy.
When I packed up my tent at noon, two Sol LeWitts were still at large (the top three in line had missed them; so had I), and an unimpressive drawing in ballpoint pen had been identified as a Damien Hirst.
On my way home, I began to consider how to frame my new mini-collection. I wondered if my von Hellermans were a real prize or just hype. My thoughts turned to friend who had bought Warhol when Andy still had brown hair and Pop was still soda. Sophie, my money's on you.
LONDON WHEN I became an art historian, my mother decided that my only hope for financial security was to stumble on a Rembrandt at a garage sale. Last weekend was my chance. The Royal College of Art was holding its 10th annual R.C.A. Secret, an exhibition and fund-raiser that has become the best-loved gamble in British collecting.
The show features more than 2,000 postcard-size works by unknowns and genuine stars, including Sol LeWitt, Christo, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and the designer Alexander McQueen. The catch: none of the works are labeled. They all cost $60; you buy what you like, or what you think you can identify, but you don't find out what you've got until it's yours -- it's signed on the back.
The event has become so popular with bargain-hunting art lovers that people start camping out days in advance; the doors open to a crowd of hundreds. Clearly, to find my modern masterpiece I would have to get a very early start. My friends may have 401(k)'s, but I had a borrowed tent and a stack of degrees that say I can spot a Sol LeWitt at 30 paces.
Tuesday's preview was discouraging -- I saw nothing I thought was a LeWitt, just a dozen sloppy student attempts at minimalism. The Tracey Emins were obvious and strangely beautiful -- raw drawings of naked women. Surely they would be gone in a jiffy. The Christos were the biggest disappointment -- souvenir postcards of his famous projects, some of which, returning buyers told me, were the same as last year.
On Wednesday, after a research trip to some galleries, I decided to focus on two "breaking" artists: Grayson Perry and Sophie von Hellerman. Mr. Perry, a finalist for this year's Turner Prize, makes large ceramic vessels covered with dark, witty, sexually provocative drawings. He also has a transvestite alter ego named Claire. I was pretty sure I had spotted his postcards: a village scene made up entirely of penises and a portrait of a girl with blonde pigtails -- and hairy arms.
Ms. von Hellerman, a recent graduate of the Royal College of Art, creates large, moody canvases, sketching a scene with a few bold lines and washes of color. A natural storyteller, she was given her first solo show in 2001 by Charles Saatchi. Three loose watercolors in shades of black, blue and rusty pink were perfect examples of her style.
On Wednesday night, I pitched camp, 12th in line, to await the Friday sale. I expected to find myself surrounded by 21-year-old art students in search of famous artists. In fact, most of the hard-core campers were closer to 50 than 20 and were looking not for today's megastars, but for more traditional British artists -- Mary Fedden, Eileen Cooper, Peter Blake.
Austin Clarke, 53, flew in from Northern Ireland and camped for five nights to be first in line. Last year he'd gone home with a Damien Hirst. "It's a buzz," he admitted. "Brings out the kid in you." And he admired his competition: "These guys are an education. They don't have the money to buy the big stuff, but they know their art."
The elder statesman of the group was Peter Sargent, 74, a London suburbanite with cropped white hair and dressed in purple Gore-Tex. He had been coming to the sale since 1997. Last year he camped out for eight nights to be first in line for a postcard by the Portuguese artist Paula Rego.
Benjamin, 20, an American student of political science who declined to give his last name, had wedged himself in at No. 4. "There's some Machiavellian stuff behind the scenes," he said, "but in the end, gentlemen's rules apply. It's very civilized." Indeed. Each participant can buy only five cards. It turned out that Nos. 1, 2 and 3 all wanted Sol LeWitts and Mary Feddens. Instead of No. 1 hogging the goods, they decided to take one each.
Around 11 p.m., I settled in to get some sleep. Mummified in six layers, I could see my breath.
Thursday morning, trouble arrived in the form of a handsome law student, No. 20, who was wild about Mr. Perry. He spent the morning telling everyone how he had to have one. I suggested that he might be better off keeping his enthusiasm to himself. He ignored me, and by the end of the day, I was pretty sure the Perrys had been publicized beyond my reach. Happily, no one mentioned Ms. von Hellerman.
Thursday night was Thanksgiving; my friend Courtney brought me a piece of pumpkin pie at midnight. By that time I had refined my list: praying for the Perrys, confident of the von Hellermans and, just in case, a consolation prize -- a beautifully painted card by an unknown artist.
On Friday morning we lined up in front of six computers and two flat screens displaying a rolling list of numbers, which turned red when the postcard in question had been sold. As I moved up the line, I saw the Emins go. Then the first Grayson Perry was gone. A pause. I was almost there when the second one flashed red on the screen; No. 11, who 24 hours ago showed no interest in the Turner Prize nominee, went home with my phallic village.
I walked away with the three von Hellermans, a Nick Park for my husband's Christmas present and a sketch by Stephen Jones, a British hat designer, for Courtney, my midnight pumpkin fairy.
When I packed up my tent at noon, two Sol LeWitts were still at large (the top three in line had missed them; so had I), and an unimpressive drawing in ballpoint pen had been identified as a Damien Hirst.
On my way home, I began to consider how to frame my new mini-collection. I wondered if my von Hellermans were a real prize or just hype. My thoughts turned to friend who had bought Warhol when Andy still had brown hair and Pop was still soda. Sophie, my money's on you.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
RCA Secret 2005 by bourgeois wife
I love this article posted by blogger Bourgeois wife. To see the original go to her blog:
A royal robbery
'It's 8am on a November morning and the temperature's hovering somewhere around minus three. The weather forecast predicts the worst blizzards in a decade. What shall we do?'
'I know, let's put on some flimsy clothing and forget to eat breakfast. Then let's stand outside in the cold for four hours, queueing to buy a £35 piece of lazily-scribbled tat that purports to be art!'
'What a resoundingly fucking brilliant idea. Let's do that!'
And herein lies the success of the Royal College of Art's annual Secret Sale.
The idea is simple. RCA graduates past and present contribute a postcard-sized piece of work. Every one is priced £35 and nothing is signed or labelled - you're not told who the artist is until you've paid for the piece. Since past RCA students have gone on to enjoy swizzy careers, there is a chance you could go home with a Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Julian Opie or David Bailey. Or you could not. More than 2,000 artists take part and approximately 15 of those are big names - you work out the chances.
It's a brilliant wheeze in that it appeals both to people's greed and their vanity. Every Guardian-reading, Tate Modern-frequenting, Grim-Up-North-London nonce likes to think they could spot an Emin at 50 paces. And what if they managed to grab one for £35? Just think of the kudos! Oh, how they could brag over the griddled aubergine at Ottolenghi! Everyone at the Duke of Cambridge would be green. And think what it would fetch on Ebay! (Although it's not done to verbalise this last thought. I said as much and was bollocked by some mealy-mouthed twerp who said it was 'not in the spirit of the event'. What a liar.)
The sale opens at 8am and attracts somewhere in the region of two billion people, all desperate to get their hands on some art, and all in front of me in the queue. Many have camped out overnight (although as of next year, this will be banned, thanks to 'unsanitary practices'). By the time I eventually got to the cashdesk, there were about 10 postcards left. One of which was a photograph of a poo with a flag in it. I'm not joking.
But, having waited that long, I wasn't about to go home empty handed. I limited myself to one; Husband got carried away and bought four, the maximum purchase allowed. I don't think Charles Saatchi will be shitting his pants, somehow. Our artists are total nobodies, without so much as a Google entry to their name. Actually, that's not strictly true - mine is a professor at the University of Richmond, although I have serious doubts there's any such place.
What's really annoying is that yesterday I saw a genuinely lovely picture, framed, for the same price as these five stupid postcards I have no idea what to do with. You'd think I'd have learned something from the Stella-McCartney-at-H&M experience. But no.
A royal robbery
'It's 8am on a November morning and the temperature's hovering somewhere around minus three. The weather forecast predicts the worst blizzards in a decade. What shall we do?'
'I know, let's put on some flimsy clothing and forget to eat breakfast. Then let's stand outside in the cold for four hours, queueing to buy a £35 piece of lazily-scribbled tat that purports to be art!'
'What a resoundingly fucking brilliant idea. Let's do that!'
And herein lies the success of the Royal College of Art's annual Secret Sale.
The idea is simple. RCA graduates past and present contribute a postcard-sized piece of work. Every one is priced £35 and nothing is signed or labelled - you're not told who the artist is until you've paid for the piece. Since past RCA students have gone on to enjoy swizzy careers, there is a chance you could go home with a Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Julian Opie or David Bailey. Or you could not. More than 2,000 artists take part and approximately 15 of those are big names - you work out the chances.
It's a brilliant wheeze in that it appeals both to people's greed and their vanity. Every Guardian-reading, Tate Modern-frequenting, Grim-Up-North-London nonce likes to think they could spot an Emin at 50 paces. And what if they managed to grab one for £35? Just think of the kudos! Oh, how they could brag over the griddled aubergine at Ottolenghi! Everyone at the Duke of Cambridge would be green. And think what it would fetch on Ebay! (Although it's not done to verbalise this last thought. I said as much and was bollocked by some mealy-mouthed twerp who said it was 'not in the spirit of the event'. What a liar.)
The sale opens at 8am and attracts somewhere in the region of two billion people, all desperate to get their hands on some art, and all in front of me in the queue. Many have camped out overnight (although as of next year, this will be banned, thanks to 'unsanitary practices'). By the time I eventually got to the cashdesk, there were about 10 postcards left. One of which was a photograph of a poo with a flag in it. I'm not joking.
But, having waited that long, I wasn't about to go home empty handed. I limited myself to one; Husband got carried away and bought four, the maximum purchase allowed. I don't think Charles Saatchi will be shitting his pants, somehow. Our artists are total nobodies, without so much as a Google entry to their name. Actually, that's not strictly true - mine is a professor at the University of Richmond, although I have serious doubts there's any such place.
What's really annoying is that yesterday I saw a genuinely lovely picture, framed, for the same price as these five stupid postcards I have no idea what to do with. You'd think I'd have learned something from the Stella-McCartney-at-H&M experience. But no.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Lefteris Heretakis's take on RCA secret
Lefteris is one of the artists who contributes to RCA Secret. He is also a member and contributor to the rca secret yahoo groups. Here is his take on RCA secret:
"As a practicing illustrator, RCA Secret is a great opportunity to be completely
free of
any limitations that apply to the real world. It is a lot different for the fine
artists of the
group. Being anonymous initially is also fun. Overall, RCA Secret is an amzing
experience."
"As a practicing illustrator, RCA Secret is a great opportunity to be completely
free of
any limitations that apply to the real world. It is a lot different for the fine
artists of the
group. Being anonymous initially is also fun. Overall, RCA Secret is an amzing
experience."
Monday, December 19, 2005
Secret Postcards for Sale?
Secret Postcards for Sale?
Do you have any postcards from previous RCA Secrets sale you want to sell? If so why not advertise them on the RCA Secret yahoo group. I’ll also post any adverts up on this blog as well. Just send me the details. Who knows I may make you an offer for a postcard myself.
Do you have any postcards from previous RCA Secrets sale you want to sell? If so why not advertise them on the RCA Secret yahoo group. I’ll also post any adverts up on this blog as well. Just send me the details. Who knows I may make you an offer for a postcard myself.
RCA Secret 2005
RCA Secret 2005
This year the college said that they would publish the cards on the internet (this had not been done in 2004). Also the other big difference was that the number of cards that could be purchased at the exhibition was reduced from 5 to 4. Initially I was disappointed about this change but then in retrospect thought that for the likes of me who is only prepared to queue for one night it might actually make my chances of getting my first choice cards even higher.
Lisa and I went to see the sale on Sunday but unfortunately with the kids in tow didn’t have a brilliant opportunity to look at the cards in depth. I did however, straight away, spot two cards by Susie Hamilton that I absolutely loved and they went right to the top of the list. Most ridiculously there were no less than 11 tents outside already, with 5 days to go before the sale.
Some notable absentees from the list of contributors. No Nick Park in particular. To make up for that there were some high profile new contributors who I had not been at the show before: David Bailey and Nan Goldin to name two. Also contributing this year were artists such as Paula Rego and Olafur Eliasson (contrary to some of the press coverage both had actually contributed to RCA Secret before).
Anyway after my initial viewing on Sunday I thought that I would be able to spend a good few hours looking at the cards on the internet to narrow down my choices. In the end the cards only appeared on the internet on the Wednesday evening which gave me precious little time to look at them with Lisa and go through and make out selections.
In light of that I determined to get to the queue earlier than I had ever got there before and duly arrived around 10am on the Thursday to wait for the Friday sale.
London was in the midst of a terrible cold snap of weather and therefore it was absolutely freezing. Despite my 5 layers and my superwarm North Face coat I was absolutely freezing as I stood outside and erected my tent (a new purchase from Ebay specifically for that sale). Once the tent was erected my mate Dan pitched up and installed his tent next to me. We then waited for the next person in the queue to turn up (John) and then went inside the exhibition.
For the next 6 hours I spent this happily browsing the cards and refining my selections. In the meantime more familiar faces turned up. Hugh More was there already having turned up even earlier than me at around 8am. John MacMahon was the next “regular” as he turned up around 3pm with his cardboard box and sleeping bag. Shortly after John turned up there was the most incredible storm which biting rain and strong winds. I retreated to my tent in order to protect it as I genuinely thought it would blow away.
Chris Jones was next turning up about 4ish and rushing round the exhibition adding to his list.
As usual we exchanged tips and had a laugh and a joke. John got out a bottle of vodka which was very warming in the harsh temperatures.
I went off with Dan about 7.30 to a local burger bar to get a burger and chips and could tell that he was flagging. After our burgers we returned to queue for more vodka and a spot of whisky just to take the cold off.
At about 10pm Dan announced that he was so cold and uncomfortable that he was going home. I can’t really blame him by that stage it was absolutely freezing.
I stayed and John MacMahon got his laptop out and showed us all the cards he had downloaded from the internet. About 12pm we turned in and tried to get some sleep. I was glad for my tent which kept out the worst of the cold and the spots of rain (luckily it was a most dry night). It seems that next year I won’t be able to use my tent as the RCA have banned tents due to some “unsanitary practices”. I have mixed feeling about this. I agree with the college that it has become silly that people are queuing for so long. When you see how some of them look after their 2 weeks camping on the streets I question the wisdom of them doing it for their own health. Also with people camping that long I can understand the local residents frustration. Nevertheless you have to hand it to these guys: Austin, Carlos, Peter etc. They are all great guys and they love contemporary art. They are what makes the RCA Secret exhibition what it is and without them it just wouldn’t be the same.
Anyway eventually after the coldest might yet we eventually started packing up our tents and formed an orderly queue. As usual there were a couple of queue bargers who were told in no uncertain terms that they should go to the back of the queue. I cannot for the life of me understand these people as they display the most incredible arrogance when challenged.
Anyway once the tickets were handed out I found out that I was 23 in the queue. Not only was I the furthest up the queue I had ever been but also with only 4 cards being sold to each person in front of me I reckoned I had a really good chance of getting my first choices.
Well in the end I didn’t quite get my first choices but I did the following:
Susie Hamilton (number 48) - my number 1 choice and favourite card. Pictured on the left.
Nigel Rolfe (number 2437) - a card I just really liked. I had no idea who it was by. I'd not heard of Nigel Rolfe before but apparently he is a visiting professor at the RCA.
Boyd and Evans – (number 2371) – I love the work by these two.
Eileen cooper (number 2396) - an Eileen cooper card without an animal on it in sight!
This year the college said that they would publish the cards on the internet (this had not been done in 2004). Also the other big difference was that the number of cards that could be purchased at the exhibition was reduced from 5 to 4. Initially I was disappointed about this change but then in retrospect thought that for the likes of me who is only prepared to queue for one night it might actually make my chances of getting my first choice cards even higher.Lisa and I went to see the sale on Sunday but unfortunately with the kids in tow didn’t have a brilliant opportunity to look at the cards in depth. I did however, straight away, spot two cards by Susie Hamilton that I absolutely loved and they went right to the top of the list. Most ridiculously there were no less than 11 tents outside already, with 5 days to go before the sale.
Some notable absentees from the list of contributors. No Nick Park in particular. To make up for that there were some high profile new contributors who I had not been at the show before: David Bailey and Nan Goldin to name two. Also contributing this year were artists such as Paula Rego and Olafur Eliasson (contrary to some of the press coverage both had actually contributed to RCA Secret before).
Anyway after my initial viewing on Sunday I thought that I would be able to spend a good few hours looking at the cards on the internet to narrow down my choices. In the end the cards only appeared on the internet on the Wednesday evening which gave me precious little time to look at them with Lisa and go through and make out selections.
In light of that I determined to get to the queue earlier than I had ever got there before and duly arrived around 10am on the Thursday to wait for the Friday sale.
London was in the midst of a terrible cold snap of weather and therefore it was absolutely freezing. Despite my 5 layers and my superwarm North Face coat I was absolutely freezing as I stood outside and erected my tent (a new purchase from Ebay specifically for that sale). Once the tent was erected my mate Dan pitched up and installed his tent next to me. We then waited for the next person in the queue to turn up (John) and then went inside the exhibition.
For the next 6 hours I spent this happily browsing the cards and refining my selections. In the meantime more familiar faces turned up. Hugh More was there already having turned up even earlier than me at around 8am. John MacMahon was the next “regular” as he turned up around 3pm with his cardboard box and sleeping bag. Shortly after John turned up there was the most incredible storm which biting rain and strong winds. I retreated to my tent in order to protect it as I genuinely thought it would blow away.
Chris Jones was next turning up about 4ish and rushing round the exhibition adding to his list.
As usual we exchanged tips and had a laugh and a joke. John got out a bottle of vodka which was very warming in the harsh temperatures.
I went off with Dan about 7.30 to a local burger bar to get a burger and chips and could tell that he was flagging. After our burgers we returned to queue for more vodka and a spot of whisky just to take the cold off.
At about 10pm Dan announced that he was so cold and uncomfortable that he was going home. I can’t really blame him by that stage it was absolutely freezing.
I stayed and John MacMahon got his laptop out and showed us all the cards he had downloaded from the internet. About 12pm we turned in and tried to get some sleep. I was glad for my tent which kept out the worst of the cold and the spots of rain (luckily it was a most dry night). It seems that next year I won’t be able to use my tent as the RCA have banned tents due to some “unsanitary practices”. I have mixed feeling about this. I agree with the college that it has become silly that people are queuing for so long. When you see how some of them look after their 2 weeks camping on the streets I question the wisdom of them doing it for their own health. Also with people camping that long I can understand the local residents frustration. Nevertheless you have to hand it to these guys: Austin, Carlos, Peter etc. They are all great guys and they love contemporary art. They are what makes the RCA Secret exhibition what it is and without them it just wouldn’t be the same.
Anyway eventually after the coldest might yet we eventually started packing up our tents and formed an orderly queue. As usual there were a couple of queue bargers who were told in no uncertain terms that they should go to the back of the queue. I cannot for the life of me understand these people as they display the most incredible arrogance when challenged.
Anyway once the tickets were handed out I found out that I was 23 in the queue. Not only was I the furthest up the queue I had ever been but also with only 4 cards being sold to each person in front of me I reckoned I had a really good chance of getting my first choices.
Well in the end I didn’t quite get my first choices but I did the following:
Susie Hamilton (number 48) - my number 1 choice and favourite card. Pictured on the left.Nigel Rolfe (number 2437) - a card I just really liked. I had no idea who it was by. I'd not heard of Nigel Rolfe before but apparently he is a visiting professor at the RCA.
Boyd and Evans – (number 2371) – I love the work by these two.
Eileen cooper (number 2396) - an Eileen cooper card without an animal on it in sight!
Marianne Levy's RCA Secret 2005
Royal College of Art Secret Postcards (30.11.05)
I rose at four am.In fact, I didn't. I couldn't. It turns out that I can't. But I rose at ten past four, which really wasn't bad. Then I pulled on all the warm clothing I'd laid out the night before (at this point I felt like I was going on a school trip) said goodbye to John, who, because he is odd, hadn't managed to go to sleep, and then ventured out into the cold. The idea was to arrive just before the first tubes started dropping people there at 5.45.The Cold. It was so very, very cold. I have a super long scarf which I never wear because I look like a mollycoddled six year old in it. But on that chilly Friday, the scarf was my best friend.
I night bussed down to Kensington, and found the queue. It didn't look too bad, just the tents I'd seen a few days before, and the odd huddled person. Then I followed it round the corner and Oh! Oh! there were lots of people. I broke into a small, embarrased trot and took my place. It was dark. It was cold. It was 5.20am.I later found out I was somewhere between 94 and 102 in the queue (two different numbers given to me by RCA staff). A minute or two later a bloke called Jim from Guildford turned up, and then a young man whose name I clearly never bothered to commit to memory, but who I do remember is an investment banker. I'd already tried to exchange a few words with the man in front of me, but he wasn't having any. So it was me, Jim and investment banker.
Here is a picture of me at about 5.30 am. I was already quite cold. This didn't really improve.
So for two and a half hours I queued. On the down side I lost the feeling in all my toes, and, weirdly, my bottom. On the up side I got to realise my ambition of listening to the bleeps that signal the beginning of the Today programme. (Here I ought to point out that this isn't a proper ambition. It was just something I'd always vaguely wanted to do, but only when I thought about it and only when I was bored.)
At just before eight the queue shuffled forwards as people packed up their tents. There was a general sense of anticipation, and people started emerging from their coats; red snuffly noses bared to the dawn. We all started to discuss which postcards we wanted. No one around me was there to try to get anything by someone famous, like me they just fancied getting some cheap, fun art. A woman behind me said that last year she'd had a list of forty, and by the time she'd got to the desk only one of them was still there. I had a list of ten, and only four were for me. A cold hand gripped my heart. Or at least, it ought to have done, but my heart was probably already so cold that it had gone numb.
Then, just after eight, they let us in and my feet thawed out. The man ahead of me in the queue became unexpectedly chatty, but since by that time I'd stood next to him in near silence for nearly three hours I didn't know how to talk to him. Then, after another half an hour, we emerged into The Room Where You Buy The Postcards.
The Room Where You Buy The Postcards was a Bad Place. You queued up and down in a Disney Style formation, all the while watching this screen. It flicked up and down the numbers, and, as each card was sold that number went red. Everyone got out their flimsy bits of paper and started fixedly at it. Once every few minutes someone near me would shake their head and cross a number off their list. People were only allowed to buy four postcards, so, given that there were a hundred people ahead of me, that meant that 400 of 2000 + had gone. But that still meant that everyone round me didn't get their ultimate first choice. I didn't either; the poodle I liked went ten minutes before I got to the desk. So, art is very subjective, but not that subjective. Interesting.
I made it to the desk. I got my second choice postcard, and Beth's third choice. I decided I didn't like the poodle that much anyway. I paid. I relaxed.
Then I went round the corner to collect them, and managed to snap a picture of my postcard while it was still on display. It is the bear. Isn't he lovely?
While I waited I watched a woman interview a young man who'd managed to get four postcards by people like Grayson Perry. But I didn't see the actual cards so I can't tell you which ones they were, and I couldn't work out what channel she was from, so I couldn't watch the report.
And then, finally, four hours after I'd arrived, a runner went and got my cards, and I staggered out into the sun. And then back to bed. Would I do it again? Maybe, I'm not sure. It was cold and horrible and stressful and exciting and satisfying. Anyone want to come with me next year?
I rose at four am.In fact, I didn't. I couldn't. It turns out that I can't. But I rose at ten past four, which really wasn't bad. Then I pulled on all the warm clothing I'd laid out the night before (at this point I felt like I was going on a school trip) said goodbye to John, who, because he is odd, hadn't managed to go to sleep, and then ventured out into the cold. The idea was to arrive just before the first tubes started dropping people there at 5.45.The Cold. It was so very, very cold. I have a super long scarf which I never wear because I look like a mollycoddled six year old in it. But on that chilly Friday, the scarf was my best friend.
I night bussed down to Kensington, and found the queue. It didn't look too bad, just the tents I'd seen a few days before, and the odd huddled person. Then I followed it round the corner and Oh! Oh! there were lots of people. I broke into a small, embarrased trot and took my place. It was dark. It was cold. It was 5.20am.I later found out I was somewhere between 94 and 102 in the queue (two different numbers given to me by RCA staff). A minute or two later a bloke called Jim from Guildford turned up, and then a young man whose name I clearly never bothered to commit to memory, but who I do remember is an investment banker. I'd already tried to exchange a few words with the man in front of me, but he wasn't having any. So it was me, Jim and investment banker.
Here is a picture of me at about 5.30 am. I was already quite cold. This didn't really improve.So for two and a half hours I queued. On the down side I lost the feeling in all my toes, and, weirdly, my bottom. On the up side I got to realise my ambition of listening to the bleeps that signal the beginning of the Today programme. (Here I ought to point out that this isn't a proper ambition. It was just something I'd always vaguely wanted to do, but only when I thought about it and only when I was bored.)
At just before eight the queue shuffled forwards as people packed up their tents. There was a general sense of anticipation, and people started emerging from their coats; red snuffly noses bared to the dawn. We all started to discuss which postcards we wanted. No one around me was there to try to get anything by someone famous, like me they just fancied getting some cheap, fun art. A woman behind me said that last year she'd had a list of forty, and by the time she'd got to the desk only one of them was still there. I had a list of ten, and only four were for me. A cold hand gripped my heart. Or at least, it ought to have done, but my heart was probably already so cold that it had gone numb.
Then, just after eight, they let us in and my feet thawed out. The man ahead of me in the queue became unexpectedly chatty, but since by that time I'd stood next to him in near silence for nearly three hours I didn't know how to talk to him. Then, after another half an hour, we emerged into The Room Where You Buy The Postcards.
The Room Where You Buy The Postcards was a Bad Place. You queued up and down in a Disney Style formation, all the while watching this screen. It flicked up and down the numbers, and, as each card was sold that number went red. Everyone got out their flimsy bits of paper and started fixedly at it. Once every few minutes someone near me would shake their head and cross a number off their list. People were only allowed to buy four postcards, so, given that there were a hundred people ahead of me, that meant that 400 of 2000 + had gone. But that still meant that everyone round me didn't get their ultimate first choice. I didn't either; the poodle I liked went ten minutes before I got to the desk. So, art is very subjective, but not that subjective. Interesting.
I made it to the desk. I got my second choice postcard, and Beth's third choice. I decided I didn't like the poodle that much anyway. I paid. I relaxed.
Then I went round the corner to collect them, and managed to snap a picture of my postcard while it was still on display. It is the bear. Isn't he lovely? While I waited I watched a woman interview a young man who'd managed to get four postcards by people like Grayson Perry. But I didn't see the actual cards so I can't tell you which ones they were, and I couldn't work out what channel she was from, so I couldn't watch the report.
And then, finally, four hours after I'd arrived, a runner went and got my cards, and I staggered out into the sun. And then back to bed. Would I do it again? Maybe, I'm not sure. It was cold and horrible and stressful and exciting and satisfying. Anyone want to come with me next year?
Friday, December 16, 2005
RCA Secret 2004
RCA SECRET 2004
This year I resolved that I would get there by no later than lunchtime. The cards were not published on the internet and therefore I had only had the previous Sunday to look at the cards and to make my original list.
By arriving at around 12 noon it gave me the chance to look round the exhibition all afternoon and make my selection. I spent this time with by now the usual suspects - John, Hugh and Chris. As usual we compared notes and exchanged information on who we thought had done what.
The night passed reasonably uneventfully. I had a terrible cold and had had a bit of Jack Daniels and coke before I went to sleep so I am afraid that I snored a bit something which my next door neighbour in the queue probably wasn't best pleased about.
Again eventually the waiting was over and we filled into the hall to buy our cards.
I was much more organised with my list this year and had a much better structure about what I was going to ask for. By the time I got to the front all the talk around me was whether the Nick Park's had gone (they hadn't).
When I got to the front I therefore excitedly read out each of the Nick Park numbers. The first three numbers had all gone but then I struck lucky on number 4 and a Nick Park was mine.
I also got a card I had identified as the only Ray Richardson at the exhibition (a lovely little pencil drawing of a dog); a lovely abstract oil painting on board by Vicky Finding; a signature piece card by recent graduate of the RCA Debbie Lawson and, most exctingly, an abstract of a house that both me and Lisa had fallen in love with. It was only when the card was turned over that I saw it was by Donald Hamilton Fraser RA- a real piece of luck.
In fact our luck continued to be in as Lisa and I went back to the exhibition the following day and bought two cards by Lawrence Weiner and one by the Sculptor David Nash.
A great year.
This year I resolved that I would get there by no later than lunchtime. The cards were not published on the internet and therefore I had only had the previous Sunday to look at the cards and to make my original list.
By arriving at around 12 noon it gave me the chance to look round the exhibition all afternoon and make my selection. I spent this time with by now the usual suspects - John, Hugh and Chris. As usual we compared notes and exchanged information on who we thought had done what.
The night passed reasonably uneventfully. I had a terrible cold and had had a bit of Jack Daniels and coke before I went to sleep so I am afraid that I snored a bit something which my next door neighbour in the queue probably wasn't best pleased about.
Again eventually the waiting was over and we filled into the hall to buy our cards.
I was much more organised with my list this year and had a much better structure about what I was going to ask for. By the time I got to the front all the talk around me was whether the Nick Park's had gone (they hadn't).
When I got to the front I therefore excitedly read out each of the Nick Park numbers. The first three numbers had all gone but then I struck lucky on number 4 and a Nick Park was mine.
I also got a card I had identified as the only Ray Richardson at the exhibition (a lovely little pencil drawing of a dog); a lovely abstract oil painting on board by Vicky Finding; a signature piece card by recent graduate of the RCA Debbie Lawson and, most exctingly, an abstract of a house that both me and Lisa had fallen in love with. It was only when the card was turned over that I saw it was by Donald Hamilton Fraser RA- a real piece of luck.
In fact our luck continued to be in as Lisa and I went back to the exhibition the following day and bought two cards by Lawrence Weiner and one by the Sculptor David Nash.
A great year.
Join the RCA Secret Yahoo group
I have started a Yahoo Group for RCA Secret. It includes areas for photos, files and even a developing database of RCA Secret Postcards that have been sold on Ebay.
If you would like to join please click on:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rcasecret/
The more the merrier.
If you would like to join please click on:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rcasecret/
The more the merrier.
RCA Secret 2003
RCA Secret 2003
It seems that each year I turn up earlier and earlier in the queue. This time I got there around 5pm. Again I was in exactly the same place in the queue, around 35th.
My research for this years show was much much more detailed that it had been in the past and I had a long list of cards I was after. I love my abstract art and towards the top of the list were two excellent pieces by Anthony Frost. Also up there was a great little pencil sketch of a man dressed in a seventies style suit holding a dog by a lead by Ray Richardson.
The queue was probably the most social yet and friends I had met from previous years were there together with some new folk. I got talking more to John MacMahon (the drunk Irishman from the previous year) together Chris Jones, Hugh More and a girl called Holly who was an art student.
We all shared a bottle of jack daniels bought from the local offie to keep us warm and chatted about the cards we were going to buy. I had printed from the Bowieart site thumbnails of all of the cards in the exhibition and this sheet was handed round to all and sundry.
I also got chatting to Peter Sergeant, a sprightly 75 year old, who told me that he had been queuing for 5 days desperate to get the cards he wanted. That man really does know his art.
As usual the night was cold but fairly dry (which is the main thing). Once the queuing was over the excitement began and I picked up the cards listed below. I didn’t get my Ray Richardson but I did get:
My two favouries by Anthony Frost. I was absolutely chuffed to bits to get those.
A watercolour of a horse by prominent Australian artists Jenny Watson
A little ink sketch by Ben Sadler
A still life of a bowl of fruit, immaculately painted by Italian artist Candra Cassini.
My other half Lisa popped in later on Friday and bought another five cards including one by American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner.
It seems that each year I turn up earlier and earlier in the queue. This time I got there around 5pm. Again I was in exactly the same place in the queue, around 35th.
My research for this years show was much much more detailed that it had been in the past and I had a long list of cards I was after. I love my abstract art and towards the top of the list were two excellent pieces by Anthony Frost. Also up there was a great little pencil sketch of a man dressed in a seventies style suit holding a dog by a lead by Ray Richardson.
The queue was probably the most social yet and friends I had met from previous years were there together with some new folk. I got talking more to John MacMahon (the drunk Irishman from the previous year) together Chris Jones, Hugh More and a girl called Holly who was an art student.
We all shared a bottle of jack daniels bought from the local offie to keep us warm and chatted about the cards we were going to buy. I had printed from the Bowieart site thumbnails of all of the cards in the exhibition and this sheet was handed round to all and sundry.
I also got chatting to Peter Sergeant, a sprightly 75 year old, who told me that he had been queuing for 5 days desperate to get the cards he wanted. That man really does know his art.
As usual the night was cold but fairly dry (which is the main thing). Once the queuing was over the excitement began and I picked up the cards listed below. I didn’t get my Ray Richardson but I did get:
My two favouries by Anthony Frost. I was absolutely chuffed to bits to get those.
A watercolour of a horse by prominent Australian artists Jenny Watson
A little ink sketch by Ben Sadler
A still life of a bowl of fruit, immaculately painted by Italian artist Candra Cassini.
My other half Lisa popped in later on Friday and bought another five cards including one by American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner.
RCA Secret 2002
RCA Secret 2002
This time I queued alone. Having turned up at around 10pm in 2001 and been well back in queue I turned up about 7pm on the Thursday expecting to be at least a little bit closer in the queue. No such luck.
I think from memory I was in about 35th or 36th position and I knew I was in for a long (and cold night). By this stage I was far better equipped however as I had a sleeping bag and a huge fishing umbrella purchased from Argos.
It was absolutely freezing cold that night (probably the coldest night I have done it). As usual I talked to a large number of people in the queue getting to know them and the cards they were interested in.
About 12 at night a bloke turned up dressed only in a suit and having clearly had a significant amount to drink. He joined the back of the queue, cracking jokes in an irish accent and generally enjoying himself. Step forward John McMahon.
After an uneventful, but cold, night we eventually got to the exciting point where everyone starts to pack up their tents and the queue begins to bunch up ready for the opening at 9am.
Once inside I watch as most of the cards noted on my list – the Nick Parks, Damien Hirst, Anthony Frost, Albert Irvin etc get snapped up. So what do I get. Well I got the following:
A drawing of a half moon that was very attractive by Rebecca Hind
A drawing of a nude woman running by Sue Palmer
An abstract picture of some bubbles by Chris Koning
An oil of a dog by James Lee
A cracking drawing of an ostrich with his head lopped off by Shaun Gladwell, Australian artist
This time I queued alone. Having turned up at around 10pm in 2001 and been well back in queue I turned up about 7pm on the Thursday expecting to be at least a little bit closer in the queue. No such luck.
I think from memory I was in about 35th or 36th position and I knew I was in for a long (and cold night). By this stage I was far better equipped however as I had a sleeping bag and a huge fishing umbrella purchased from Argos.
It was absolutely freezing cold that night (probably the coldest night I have done it). As usual I talked to a large number of people in the queue getting to know them and the cards they were interested in.
About 12 at night a bloke turned up dressed only in a suit and having clearly had a significant amount to drink. He joined the back of the queue, cracking jokes in an irish accent and generally enjoying himself. Step forward John McMahon.
After an uneventful, but cold, night we eventually got to the exciting point where everyone starts to pack up their tents and the queue begins to bunch up ready for the opening at 9am.
Once inside I watch as most of the cards noted on my list – the Nick Parks, Damien Hirst, Anthony Frost, Albert Irvin etc get snapped up. So what do I get. Well I got the following:
A drawing of a half moon that was very attractive by Rebecca Hind
A drawing of a nude woman running by Sue Palmer
An abstract picture of some bubbles by Chris Koning
An oil of a dog by James Lee
A cracking drawing of an ostrich with his head lopped off by Shaun Gladwell, Australian artist
RCA Secret 2001
Secret 2001
Secret 2001 was the first year that cards were on the web at Bowieart. This presented a different challenge. By this stage I was much more into secrets but still not very knowledgeable about the artists exhibiting there. Of course I knew the big names, the likes of Sir Terry Frost, Nick Park, Paula Rego, Eileen Cooper etc but you have to queue for days if you want to get cards by those people.
I had again gone along on the weekend viewing and had armed myself with a long list of the cards I wanted. And I mean long. I had numbers scribbled here there and everywhere. It was mad.
This year my sister, who was studying at Cambridge at the time, wanted to come with me to the sale. We arranged to meet up at about 10 in the evening and to stay their overnight until the sale started the following morning.
Even arriving at this time we were still way down the line and it was an absolutely terrible night, pouring with rain and absolutely miserable. I didn’t really come prepared. I had no sleeping bag or tent just a pair of ski trousers and a large waterproof tarpaulin.
My mother turned up a little later (mainly to check on my sister) but came with two old duvets. Heaven.
It poured and poured all night. We chatted to some people in the queue including a guy who was buying stuff for his wife (who had recently given birth) and also a chap from Birmingham who had queued all night to buy postcards for his mother. That’s dedication for you.
Anyway by the time that 8am arrived we were tired, wet and bored. My sister had spent half of the night getting some shelter under an awning of the Royal Albert Hall.
As we went inside there was the usual anxious wait to see whether my numbers were being sold. It was nice this time though to be inside the building when the first cards were being sold and getting an opportunity to see the real excitement of the sale: the press, the hoots of delight from people when they realise they have the cards they want etc.
Anyway having got to the front of the queue I picked up my Six cards: I have to say that when the time comes to get to the front of queue it is quite dazzling and I end up getting brain ache. My head becomes full of numbers and I don’t seem to quite select the cards I really meant to get. Even so it was a reasonably good haul of cards which included
A drawing of a feather by Janet Patterson
An abstract landscape by John Hubbard
A bleak landscape scene by Jesse Ash
A bird by Stephen O’Driscoll
Two stunning rendered print-outs of leaves by artist Ben Johnson
My sister also picked up 6 cards. She didn’t get the Manolo Blahnik that she wanted but did pick up some interesting and unusual cityscapes.
Secret 2001 was the first year that cards were on the web at Bowieart. This presented a different challenge. By this stage I was much more into secrets but still not very knowledgeable about the artists exhibiting there. Of course I knew the big names, the likes of Sir Terry Frost, Nick Park, Paula Rego, Eileen Cooper etc but you have to queue for days if you want to get cards by those people.
I had again gone along on the weekend viewing and had armed myself with a long list of the cards I wanted. And I mean long. I had numbers scribbled here there and everywhere. It was mad.
This year my sister, who was studying at Cambridge at the time, wanted to come with me to the sale. We arranged to meet up at about 10 in the evening and to stay their overnight until the sale started the following morning.
Even arriving at this time we were still way down the line and it was an absolutely terrible night, pouring with rain and absolutely miserable. I didn’t really come prepared. I had no sleeping bag or tent just a pair of ski trousers and a large waterproof tarpaulin.
My mother turned up a little later (mainly to check on my sister) but came with two old duvets. Heaven.
It poured and poured all night. We chatted to some people in the queue including a guy who was buying stuff for his wife (who had recently given birth) and also a chap from Birmingham who had queued all night to buy postcards for his mother. That’s dedication for you.
Anyway by the time that 8am arrived we were tired, wet and bored. My sister had spent half of the night getting some shelter under an awning of the Royal Albert Hall.
As we went inside there was the usual anxious wait to see whether my numbers were being sold. It was nice this time though to be inside the building when the first cards were being sold and getting an opportunity to see the real excitement of the sale: the press, the hoots of delight from people when they realise they have the cards they want etc.
Anyway having got to the front of the queue I picked up my Six cards: I have to say that when the time comes to get to the front of queue it is quite dazzling and I end up getting brain ache. My head becomes full of numbers and I don’t seem to quite select the cards I really meant to get. Even so it was a reasonably good haul of cards which included
A drawing of a feather by Janet Patterson
An abstract landscape by John Hubbard
A bleak landscape scene by Jesse Ash
A bird by Stephen O’Driscoll
Two stunning rendered print-outs of leaves by artist Ben Johnson
My sister also picked up 6 cards. She didn’t get the Manolo Blahnik that she wanted but did pick up some interesting and unusual cityscapes.
RCA Secret 2000
Secret 2000
This was the first year that I attended the Secrets exhibition and I did not know quite what to expect. I went along with my girlfriend, Lisa, and her parents and we looked at all the cards on display. The reaction was mixed. Lisa’s parents felt that a lot of the items in the show were poor (which is certainly true) and that those ones that were good were likely to get snapped up straight away. I was however bitten by the secrets bug and couldn’t wait to see what I would land at the sale day.
Having registered we were told that the sale would be very busy and that it would be wise to get there early.
True enough on the day of the sale I got up exceptionally early to catch the first tubes to South Kensington. When I arrived I was absolutely amazed to see that the queue stretched all the way around the block. I was even more astonished when I walked round the block and say that the queue stretched even further around the back.
I contemplated whether it was even worth staying but felt that I was there then and may as well stay. In addition the weather was good (i.e. it was not raining) and I had just started a Harry Potter book so I had something to do in the queue.
I hadn’t taken the day off work though and wondered when I would get into the sale room.
The appointed time for the sale came and went I we hadn’t moved forward much in the queue. 9 O’clock was hit, then 10 then 11 and gradually I was creeping forward.
Eventually I must have got into the sale room (to see another big queue) around 12. By this stage needless to say I was not hopeful at all that any of my numbers would still be there and so it proved.
So I got someone to look after my position in the queue and just went around the room quickly (about 3 minutes) jotting down numbers of ones I liked that were still there.
By the time I got to the front of the queue even a lot of those were gone. But I gave two numbers to the lady behind the counter and handed over my £70.
In the end I did well. I got two postcards. One of a classic Kite design by Richard Smith and a second of a colourful painting by Catalan artist Eva Bosch
I now have both of these framed up and I love them. More to the point I was absolutely hooked on secrets and resolved to turn up even earlier at next year’s queue.
This was the first year that I attended the Secrets exhibition and I did not know quite what to expect. I went along with my girlfriend, Lisa, and her parents and we looked at all the cards on display. The reaction was mixed. Lisa’s parents felt that a lot of the items in the show were poor (which is certainly true) and that those ones that were good were likely to get snapped up straight away. I was however bitten by the secrets bug and couldn’t wait to see what I would land at the sale day.
Having registered we were told that the sale would be very busy and that it would be wise to get there early.
True enough on the day of the sale I got up exceptionally early to catch the first tubes to South Kensington. When I arrived I was absolutely amazed to see that the queue stretched all the way around the block. I was even more astonished when I walked round the block and say that the queue stretched even further around the back.
I contemplated whether it was even worth staying but felt that I was there then and may as well stay. In addition the weather was good (i.e. it was not raining) and I had just started a Harry Potter book so I had something to do in the queue.
I hadn’t taken the day off work though and wondered when I would get into the sale room.
The appointed time for the sale came and went I we hadn’t moved forward much in the queue. 9 O’clock was hit, then 10 then 11 and gradually I was creeping forward.
Eventually I must have got into the sale room (to see another big queue) around 12. By this stage needless to say I was not hopeful at all that any of my numbers would still be there and so it proved.
So I got someone to look after my position in the queue and just went around the room quickly (about 3 minutes) jotting down numbers of ones I liked that were still there.
By the time I got to the front of the queue even a lot of those were gone. But I gave two numbers to the lady behind the counter and handed over my £70.
In the end I did well. I got two postcards. One of a classic Kite design by Richard Smith and a second of a colourful painting by Catalan artist Eva Bosch
I now have both of these framed up and I love them. More to the point I was absolutely hooked on secrets and resolved to turn up even earlier at next year’s queue.
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