Ever since reading about the RCA's secret postcard sale in a paper when I was in school I have dreamed of owning my very own collectors' postcard. I was destined to be an art collector. As soon as I moved to London in 2009 I googled to see if the fundraising exercise was still going and signed up for a buyers ID. But not only had I never purchased a postcard, I never made it to a sale and worst still I'd not even made the effort to go to the presale exhibition. So it was an obvious AND achievable target for my 52 things to do this year.
Sunday had been allocated for this mission (overstating the 30 minute bus journey). Having put words to paper - I was determined to go (Finally)! Persuading my boyfriend away from the Formula One highlights was the only thing that stood in my way. It's sounds so cliche but as we got off the bus on Battersea Bridge, I was filled with excitement. I could see the postcards neatly displayed on their makeshift shelves outside the RCA's Dyson building. 3000 postcards all contributed by well known and revered artists, others having previously graduated from the RCA but all anonymous for now AND all for sale on Saturday for £55.
The informality of the exhibition is part of its success -we popped in the Dyson building and to be honest there were maybe 10 people milling around and so quiet - not like a weekend visit to the Tate. We started at pictures 1-100 and worked our way round until we had seen all 3000 - or more truthfully kind of seen them. In truth, in the 30 minutes we spent looking round, we probably only looked at about 200 in thorough detail. Some didn't catch the eye at all. We noticed the more experienced visitors were scribbling down postcard numbers in notebooks. Others were furiously writing their names on raffle tickets - the prize - to be one of 50 people able to go to the sale first. So we decided to pick our 5 favourites and note them down.
Perhaps not surprisingly, we found some of our favourites in our second trip round. Ones that had not startled on the first way round. We also couldn't narrow it down to 5, finishing with over 20 between us. In my humble, amateurish opinion I wasn't overwhelmed by the exhibition. Some I found outright annoying. Taking a piece of white card and leaving a bite mark on it isn't something I want in my art collection even if it's by a notable artist. Even more irritating in my opinion were the postcards which ere blank except for a hastily written note saying one day this might sell on ebay for more than £55.
It doesn't matter to me who wrote it - I wouldn't want it on the wall in my living room, bedroom or downstairs toilet (I don't actually have a downstairs loo but you get the pint).
Will I be a buyer this year... Sadly not as I will be hurtling my way to London from Liverpool to make a weekend yoga retreat. But next year I'll be there queuing with the others for a piece of the art action at some ridiculous time in the morning! Highly recommended if you are around London in March.
Another one ticked off the list!