Provenance

Donated by the Artist to RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London, where acquired by the current owner.

The Royal College of Art’s fundraising exhibition RCA Secret was established in 1994 and was London’s original postcard exhibition.

All proceeds from the annual event go to the RCA Fund, which in turn enables the College to offer bursaries to those students who would otherwise not be able to attend its storied classrooms, allowing talented individuals, regardless of their background or financial circumstances, to access a unique educational experience at a formative time in their lives.

Past contributors to the exhibition include renowned alumni and friends of the College such as Christopher Bailey, David Bowie, Sir James Dyson, Tracey Emin, Norman Foster, Thomas Heatherwick, Anish Kapoor, Mike Leigh, Stella McCartney, Steve McQueen, Yoko Ono, Zandra Rhodes and Sir Paul Smith. Current students and recent alumni are also invited to contribute – adding to the fascinating mix of styles and responses.

However, when the works go on display, all are anonymous – leaving it up to the viewer to decide if the work they like is by an art-world luminary or a rising star. Some are quite obvious (a few artists miss the memo and sign their works on the front); the majority are not. Part of this is due to there being no limitation on medium: from photography and collage, to drawing, painting and even sculpture and embroidery, the only requirement is that all artworks should be postcard-sized.

To buy the works, members of the public register to gain a buyer’s ID – after which, it’s first come, first served (capped at four works per buyer until the very last days of the show). This wonderful collection [lots 292-300] was put together by possibly the most dedicated follower of RCA Secret, who was first in line every year between 2002 and 2018 and as such it represents the best of what the exhibition is about. There are works by major names such as Grayson Perry, Yinka Shonibare, Mimmo Paladino, Maggi Hambling, David Bailey and Richard Wentworth, mixed in with jewels by artists less well known, all with something in common, that particular collaborative and open-hearted spirit of the exhibition.