'China:' Limited Edition Print by Artist Paula Scher Released to Public

Maya Stendhal Gallery is delighted to announce the release of 'China,' 2008, a limited edition print by renowned artist Paula Scher.

Measuring 48.5 x 40 inches, the work is a stunning example of the visual and conceptual nuances that comprise Paula Scher’s dynamic maps. Involved in every aspect of the printing process, Paula Scher collaborated closely with Alexander Heinrici, Andy Warhol’s master printer, to meticulously draw each individual plate and ensure that the limited edition print conveys the hand-painted elegance of the original.

'China' is printed on deluxe Lanaquarelle paper, hand-made in the Vosges region of France. Produced as an edition of 90, each print is signed, numbered, and dated by the artist. The crisp, matte colors and intricate detail make the text that crawls across Paula Scher’s 'China' come to life.

In recent years, rapid economic growth, booming industry, increased privatization, a successful Olympic bid, and an undeniable presence in the international art world, have conferred superpower status on China. Through the visual vibrancy of information overload in her 'China' print, Paula Scher manages to capture the swift transformations taking place in a country steeped with a rich cultural and historical fabric.

Deliberately choosing to incorporate official statistics from the People’s Republic of China into the work, which include city populations, ethnic breakdowns, and industry figures, Paula Scher’s map is undeniably subjective, thus underscoring the subjectivity of all maps. The overwhelming density of text imbedded into the print connotes the country’s burgeoning population. The multi-directional, scrawled names of sites and statistics speaks to China’s complicated history, from its imperial age of dynasties and warlords’ conquests, to the violent tumult of its communist conversion. As one of the oldest civilizations on earth with the longest-used writing systems, it is indeed fitting for 'China' to be covered with seemingly endless text.

Paula Scher’s work has been included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the Denver Art Museum, the Museum fur Gestaltung Zurich, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. She has taught at the School of Visual Arts, Cooper Union, Yale University, and the Tyler School of Art.

Each limited edition print is individually signed, numbered, and dated by the artist and is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity.

For a special prepublication price, please visit www.paulascher.com or contact gallery@mayastendhalgallery.com.