Seeming to come round faster and faster every year, this year's RCA Secret (or to give it its more recent, sponsorship name - 'Stewarts Law RCA Secret') is almost upon us.
For anyone who doesn't know what the RCA Secret is, it's basically an annual exhibition of postcard-sized artworks, the sales of which, go to help support students of the Royal College of Art in London, UK. What's the 'secret' part of it I hear you ask... well, I was just about to get to that. The postcards all get displayed anonymously at the RCA's Battersea exhibition space in the Dyson Building (and on-line), then go on sale nine days later; and it's only after the postcards have been sold that the identity of the responsible artists (sorry, that sounds a bit like an oxymoron – maybe I should have said 'artists responsible') are revealed. Or just click here for the official description of what the show's all about, and how to register to buy.
I've exhibited work in the RCA Secret's annual postcard exhibitions for over ten years (I think – not quite sure when I first entered), and most years I've done something a little different from the previous year's submissions. Sometimes I do drawings, sometimes I'll show paintings, and occasionally I submit 3D work. As it's a secret I'm not even allowed to give a clue as to what this year's work might be (heaven forbid that I should reveal anything before the 21st March), so here's some images of my postcards from previous RCA Secrets.
Most years I make three postcard-sized works for the show but this year I've made an extra piece as RCA Secret is going international, with RCA Secret Dubai. As well as going to the College’s Scholarship Fund, helping talented students at formative stages in their careers, sales from this second RCA Secret show (which runs from 18th to 21st March) will also contribute to establishing and running RCA courses in Dubai, which will in turn nurture emerging local Dubai talent.
Back here in London, the RCA Secret exhibition opens to the public on the 12th March, with the sale itself taking place on Saturday 21st March (8am-6pm). If you want to guarantee getting at least one of your top twenty postcards then I suggest getting in the queue very early (some hardcore souls start queueing the night, or days, before the doors open for the sale) or win one of the first fifty places in the queue via the RCA Secret raffle.
Dyson Building, 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AN
Exhibition 12–20 March, 11am–6pm
Late opening Thursday 19 March until 9pm
Sale Saturday 21 March, 8am–6pm (exhibition closed to visitors)
