Emin, Kapoor and Ono most sought after prize in RCA treasure hunt
Art enthusiasts who cued, purchased and then waited for the identity unveiling of over 3000 original postcards, discovered whether they had snagged a valuable A- lister-masterpiece by the likes of Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin or Anish Kapoor on Saturday. This was all revealed at the RCA Secret charity exhibition, where postcards were on sale for a mere £45 each. Some turned out to be worth thousands. Wallace and Gromit film-maker Nick Park and fashion designer Sir Paul Smith also contributed artwork to the fundraising sale organised by the Royal College of Art.
The RCA Secret is an annual event, which this year celebrates its eighteenth birthday as a unique exhibition and sale of original postcard-sized art, made by professional artists, designers and illustrators, plus current postgraduate students at the Royal College of Art. It is a fund raising event with proceeds going to the RCA’s Art Student Award Fund. Last year’s postcards and artists are available to view on the RCA website until Friday 11th November 2011. This will give you an idea of what to expect for this years offerings.This year is rumoured to includes Tracey Emin, Yoko Ono, Anish Kapoor and Mike Leigh. A distinct political edge to the RCA Secret postcard exhibition is also predicted. Here’s how it works!
THE SECRET – The postcards are displayed anonymously and are signed on the reverse, so that the artist remains a secret until after the cards are purchased and their signature is revealed. This sale consisting of around 2,500 original postcard-sized artworks, made and donated by professional artists, designers and illustrators, plus up-and-coming students and alumni from the Royal College of Art. The cards are all sold to the public in a huge sale, with every postcard costing just £45, regardless of whether it has been made by a famous name or a young art student. Organisers say; This is the largest “Secret” to date and will raise more than £130,000 for the college’s fine art student award fund.
The collection’s curator, Wilhelmina Bunn, said: “We are enormously grateful to all of the artists who have donated postcards this year, making it the biggest event we have ever staged. “As future funding for art education is likely to be reduced, it’s encouraging that established artists and designers are willing to help support a new generation of students.”