Maya Stendhal Gallery is showing a wonderful exhibit of work by illustrator, painter and Moleskine Detour alumus Paula Scher through January 26th. The work includes painted city maps that expand on Scher’s ongoing maps series, depicting cities, countries and even entire continents that have been the critical focus of attention in recent headlines. The Pentagram partner has created logos for New York cultural mainstays such as the Public Theater, the Metropolitan Opera, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space and the High Line, to name a few.

Among the maps on exhibit will be Tsunami, which shows the parts of south east Asia that were ravaged in December 2004. China shows a colossal landmass with cities, provinces and roads pulsating in reds, blues, greens and yellows. My favorite, NYC Transit, projects the city in intricate layers of line, text and color that comprise the iconic map of the New York City subway system. The major outsourcing destination of India takes form in a giant pink landmass accented with bright blue and green road markers and orange location names, bringing to mind an advertisment for a Bollywood spectacular.