Eighth in the series of limited edition graphic books, Lubok 8 features black and white linocuts by 13 artists including David Rayson, Eileen Cooper, Adam Dant, Claas Gutsche, Karl-Georg Hirsch, Roger Kelly, Andrzej Klimowski, Serena Korda, Bob Matthews, David Orme, Mark Titchner, Julie Verhoeven, Richard Woods.

Gutsche, Andrzej Klimowski, Bob Matthews, Karl-Georg Hirsch, Serena Korda, Richard Woods, David Orme, Mark Titchner, Eileen Cooper, Julie Verhoeven, and Adam Dant. David Rayson's contribution consists of eight specifically commissioned linocuts titled The Ship?. Book launches and accompanying exhibitions were held at The Schauspiel, Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany (2009), Kaleid Editions, London (2010), New York Book Fair, PS1 gallery, New York (2010), London Book Fair, Whitechapel Art Gallery (2010), and at 401 Contemporary, Berlin (2010).

Published by Leipzig: Edition Carpe Plumbum, 2009.

During Rayson’s studio based research, he worked closely with Claas Gutsche and Andrzej Klimowski, both experienced printmakers using lino-cutting techniques. The graphics are printed from the original cuts on a "Präsident"-cylinder printing press from 1958.

Rayson researched the origins of the Lubok tradition, a popular genre during the last half of the seventeenth century. These prints sometimes appeared in series and were used as decoration in houses and inns.
 This type of art was popular with lower social classes because it provided an inexpensive opportunity to display artwork in the home. Taking this research as a lead Rayson developed The Ship as a short visual fable.

Associated Lectures: The Studio: Romance and Mythology of the Ideas Chamber in the Post Studio era, The Royal College of Art, London 2011; The Ship: University for the Creative Arts, Farnham 2009; The Voyage, Grays School of Art, Aberdeen 2010; In Conversation with William Feaver, The Princes Trust Drawing School, London 2009.

David Rayson’s working drawings for the book were exhibited in Draw: Turning Thoughts into Line curated by Anne Howeson and Catherine Anyango at the RCA Galleries 2010.