Paula Scher, World Trade Routes, 26 colour screenprint, 2018
One of the best known graphic designers in the world, Paula Scher has designed branding and publications for a range of major clients, including Microsoft, MoMA, Tiffany & Co, Sundance, and The Public Theater. Scher has been a partner at acclaimed design consultancy Pentagram since 1991, and at the time of appointment was the first female partner at the firm.
Scher’s painting practice creating typographic maps began in the 90s, alongside her design profession. The maps depict continents, countries, and seas excessively illustrated with text, every inch of the map overloaded with names and terms relevant to each area and sea. This typographical approach was a reaction to the constant stream and overload of information in the modern day, playing with the format of the map by creating pieces that are difficult to decipher and maximalist, working against the traditional functions of cartography.
Paula Scher, Europe, Hand pulled screenprint on Deluxe Lana Quarelle paper, 2009
Working in collaboration with Andy Warhol’s master printer Alexander Heinrici, Scher has created hand-pulled screenprints of her colourful, dynamic maps.
Paula Scher, India, Screenprint 2010
Paula Scher has been the recipient of around 300 design awards, including the National Design Award for Communication Design, the AIGA medal and the Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design. Her designs are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Library of Congress, and the V&A.
Paula Scher, NYC Transit, Hand pulled screenprint on Deluxe Lana Quarelle paper 2008
