In the late 20th century, specifically between the 1980s to 1990s, a booming trend within the Ghanaian creative scene was the design of expressive and colorful movie posters, crafted to aid Western films’ promotion. These exquisitely hand-painted masterpieces served as a unique advertising tool for the proliferating mobile cinemas, a phenomenon that characterized Ghana’s entertainment industry for nearly two decades.
These mobile cinemas, ensuing from the entrepreneurial pursuits of Ghanaians in the 80s, held the status as pioneers of a thriving transportable entertainment industry, affectionately known as the ‘Ghanaian Mobile Cinema.’ A unique blend of artistry and entrepreneurship, this was more than an industry – it was a cultural icon that brought entertainment to even the remotest corners of Ghana, using TVs, VCRs, VHS cassettes, and relocatable generators.
These ventures and influential entrepreneurs left no stone unturned, establishing a solid presence not just in the urban areas, but in remote villages lacking electrical access too. They created temporary movie screening areas, providing a movie theater experience in places where electricity was a luxury.
In parallel, the ‘Ghanaian Mobile Cinema’ also raised permanent thematic theaters in key cities like Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi, providing a constant stream of visual entertainment to the buzzing urban populace.
What made these posters fascinating was how art imitated a narrative not seen, only told. The artists creating these posters possessed minimal information about the movies they were commissioned to illustrate, often not having watched the movie themselves, nor had access to stills or cover art. Their singular dependable ally was their boundless imagination – leading to a wide array of artistic interpretations, each more intriguing than the last.
Currently, these curiosity-piquing, mind-bending, and visually stunning interpretations strikingly adorn the walls of a particular art gallery. An essential part of their collection, it represents countless vivid testimonials of the creativity and imaginative prowess of the artists.
This gallery contains an impressive repertoire of such posters from a mobile art gallery that traversed the regions of Ghana. This treasure trove of Ghana’s artistic heritage is the painstaking effort of more than two dozens of skilled artists, credited with producing several thousands of these uniquely stunning testimonials, each one more colorful and creative than the last.
The gallery honors this distinctive artistic field by working closely with a group of talented Ghana-based artists, exceeding ten in count, to conserve this ingenious interpretation of art, at the same time enabling the creative community.
This collection succinctly narrates the exciting journey of three decades of Ghanaian cinematic history. Furthermore, the gallery ensures a fair return to the artists involved by channeling all sales profits directly to them.
As the mobile cinema found its footing and rapidly expanded, the regulatory environment became increasingly competitive. In order to distinguish themselves from their competitors, operators opted for striking means of advertisements.
Due to the limited availability of printing resources, the hand-painted posters were the preferred choice; they were not just cost-effective but also held a unique charm. The local artists pooled in their skills to create these captivating posters, often incorporating elements of violence, horror, and seduction to entice potential viewers.
These works of art were typically painted on reutilized flour sacks, giving them a coarse, unique texture that sets them apart. Despite being relatively new, their well-travelled and weather-beaten appearance adds a charm of vintage, making these works appear aged and classic.
By the mid-2000s, however, the rise of accessible printing technologies and increased home viewing potentials led to a decline in the mobile cinema industry. Print was no longer an expensive undertaking, and watching movies at home became more feasible for Ghanaians.
As a result, today, these movie poster artworks, once a necessity for advertisement, have developed into a niche art form, appreciated by a growing international audience. Despite the harrowing change in the cinema viewing habits and the apparent decline of mobile cinema, the poster artists found a way to continue their craft.
Remarkably, many of these artists, key players in the mobile cinema’s golden period, continue this tradition of painting beautifully unique posters. They now work on commissioned projects with the traveling art gallery, delivering their art to a widening global audience that appreciates their remarkable talent.
Thus, even though the industry may have witnessed a decline, the art form associated with it lives on, bridging past and present, transcending borders, and uniting art lovers globally with this unique expression of Ghanaian imagination.
The post Bright Colors and Bold Imagery: Ghana’s Hand-Painted Movie Posters appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
