Now that London's Royal College of Art's Secret Sale (in aid of student bursaries and support) is over, I can reveal my contribution. Over 2,800 postcards are illustrated by artists and students and exhibited anonymously. Each costs £45 and the game is to pick one by an expensive artist like Damien Hirst or Grayson Perry and not get landed with a Rosie West.
Artists generally don't like to pin down the meaning of their work. I suppose mine are supposed to be seductive as little pictures in themselves and then remind one of the gross price of property; they glibly juxtapose the tradition of painting with nasty material values; or simply stand as a painterly documentation of a common phenomenon like the property ads blah blah blah..
They are possibly rather sketchy but you have to take a run at them since you only get given
three postcards and there's no room to mess up even more.
I have no idea how many of them sold but I know that my son pointed out one of mine to his girlfriend not realising his old ma had done it. Needless to say he didn't buy it.
All illustrations © Rosie West
Posts
I might not be able to flip one of your postcards on the international art market as fast as I could a Hirst, but I think I'd probably rather have your card sitting on my mantelpiece. Besides, I already have Shoegirl at one end, and a second would re-establish the symmetry. Also, a West is less likely to begin decomposing before my eyes. I have enough stuff to worry about without adding that to the list.
ReplyDeleteI say whoever bought your contribution got a good deal.
We did a project like that at Atlantic College. We had artists from around the world paint le Un, which is the smallest canvas size. then there was a blind auction of them. i headed the project and bounced back and forth between Cardi and Paris for months.
ReplyDelete{Loved the cooking story.It's like that in my house, too!}
Magnaverde, how nice to hear from you and thank you for such a kind comment. One is always so full of self-doubt...
ReplyDeletePigtown - Meg, I love hearing about Atlantic College, such a great institution. Your energy is unbounded in charitable works so you are excused on the cookery front!
One is tempted to think that in your Mayfair postcard "F/h" stands for "far too high", (as in the price), but I realised it doesn't. Your concept is clever. I think the Mayfair flat would be the least likely property that I'd buy out of the three, and not because of the price.
ReplyDeleteThank you Columnist. I agree the Mayfair flat is positively ghastly which is why I chose it!
ReplyDeleteDear Rosie, I love your paintings. I think you've made the Mayfair flat look great with the colours you've used xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Christina!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to one day getting beyond that miserly obsession with draftsmanship and learning to think in color. Not many folks know how difficult that can be.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Rose.
rurritable you are very kind but I need more of miserly obsession with draftmanship, I think. It's very unpredictable and limited at times.
ReplyDeletebut darling, these are wonderful quick sketches. I'd be perfectly delighted to be the winner of a Rosie West
ReplyDeleteDED, that's made my day, my week.. thank you so much!
ReplyDelete