Artwork
Pothole
Pothole is an ink print by Mitra Saboury. It dates from 2014 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Jealous Print Studio Graduate Prize, established in 2009, selects one MA Fine Art graduate from each of London’s eight leading art institutions.
The Jealous Print Studio Graduate Prize, established in 2009, selects one MA Fine Art graduate from each of London’s eight leading art institutions. Winners receive a fully funded residency to produce a limited-edition digital inkjet print under the studio’s guidance. Each year’s cohort of works is exhibited collectively, and all editions are donated to the V&A’s print collection, ensuring institutional preservation and public access.
Subject & Meaning
Mitra Saboury’s contribution explores the relationship between the human body and urban infrastructure. Her work considers how architectural forms and public spaces subtly shape physical experience and perception. By focusing on the pothole as a site of bodily encounter, she draws attention to the overlooked intersections between urban decay and embodied vulnerability.
Technique & Style
Saboury’s piece is rendered as a digital inkjet print, a medium chosen for its precision and capacity to reproduce fine detail. The image captures the texture and irregularity of a pothole with clinical clarity, transforming an ordinary urban flaw into a subject of contemplation. The aesthetic is restrained, emphasizing form and surface over narrative or color.
History & Provenance
Created in 2013 after Saboury’s graduation from Goldsmiths, the print was produced during a residency at Jealous Print Studio. It was included in the annual group exhibition of graduate works and subsequently acquired by the V&A as part of the studio’s ongoing donation program. Its inclusion in the national collection reflects its significance within contemporary British print practice.
Context
Saboury’s work emerged during a period of heightened interest in urban phenomenology and the politics of everyday space. Her focus on infrastructure as a carrier of bodily experience aligned with broader artistic and academic inquiries into how environments shape identity and movement. The print contributes to a growing body of work that treats the city not as backdrop but as active agent.
Legacy
As part of the V&A’s permanent collection, Saboury’s print remains accessible for study and exhibition, anchoring her early research within a wider discourse on urban life. Its preservation ensures that future audiences can engage with how contemporary artists interpret the subtle, often invisible forces shaping human interaction with the built world.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mitra Saboury’s 2014 photograph Pothole turns a cracked city street into a quiet study in light and texture.
