RCA Secret (The Hardcore)

RCA Secret 2008 (No 1), originally uploaded by Wayne Chisnall.

I probably should have posted this message last week but you know how things are – busy, busy, busy. Anyway, I’d like to say a big hello to all the fantastic people that I met at the RCA Secret show a couple of Saturdays ago when the Royal College opened their doors for the sale of the postcards. I’d especially like to say hi to the hardcore few I met who chose to camp out days beforehand (you know who you are - you crazy bastards). And I must say that since being sent a link to a particular blog (rcasecret.blogspot.com), I’ve found myself surprisingly engrossed by everyone’s stories, and by strong community element of those who make what seems to be an annually pilgrimage to the event.

When one of the chaps that I spoke to showed me what cards he had bought, I instantly recognised one of them as being by a friend of mine, Josie McCoy. I had not seen it in the show, but in my defence I must say that I only managed to grab a quick look round beforehand.

Although I regularly contribute postcards to the annual RCA Secret event, this is the first time that I’ve actually turned up as a buyer. And to be honest, I only went this time because my raffle ticket (the first time I’d bought one) won and allowed me to be one of the first 50 in the queue. I must say that being one of the first 50 there was a slight temptation to go for work by the famous artists but that some how felt a bit disrespectful to all those who had braved the cold outside for days on end. Plus I thought it best to go for the ones that I liked. In the end I managed to get 1 of my 2 favourite pieces by an artist whose name I didn’t know at the time, but whose work I recognised (as is often the case, I remember the work but not the name) from a group show in Hoxton Square. It turned out to be by Elinor Evans. My other purchases were a couple of quirky drawings that just made me laugh and a fourth one that will be part of my girlfriend’s Christmas present (Holly, if you’re reading this, don’t you dare check out the RCA site and try to work out which one I got you).

So now I have 5 RCA Secret cards (yes, I know I said that this is the first time I’d bought any cards from the show, but a few years ago I won a Marc Quinn card in a Time Out competition – jammy or what?) in my collection. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve caught the bug and will become a regular in the queue. Only next year will tell.