Artwork
Taking stock
Taking stock is a print by Paul Coldwell. It dates from 1993 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Taking Stock is a print created in 1993 by Paul Coldwell, a research professor and project leader at the Fine Art Digital Environments (FADE) program of Camberwell and Chelsea Colleges of Art and Design. The work belongs to a quartet of images titled the ‘Chairs’ series, which forms part of a broader body of prints held by the Victoria & Albert Museum that trace key moments in Coldwell’s printmaking practice.
Subject & Meaning
The image centers on a stylised chair, a domestic object that serves as a visual anchor for explorations of personal identity. Over and around the chair, linear patterns reminiscent of fingerprints intersect the composition, suggesting the imprint of the individual onto everyday surroundings.
Technique & Style
Coldwell combines digital manipulation with traditional print processes. He first creates and alters imagery on a computer, then transfers the design to a print using a hybrid of conventional and digital printing methods, resulting in layered surfaces that merge analogue and electronic aesthetics.
History & Provenance
The ‘Chairs’ suite was produced during a period when Coldwell was integrating computer technology into his fine‑art practice. The four prints were acquired by the V&A as representative examples of his evolving approach to printmaking, documenting a pivotal phase in his career.
Context
The work reflects broader 1990s concerns with the intersection of technology and personal narrative in art. By employing fingerprint‑like motifs, Coldwell aligns the piece with contemporary dialogues about authorship, presence, and the trace of the self within manufactured objects.
Artist & collection
