Page 225 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

222 ART AND CRAFTS

particularly adept at copying any style of writing on the strength of the education
transferred from master to disciple. In some cases they show their talent through
personal creativity.
However, for the past two decades, advertising agencies and institutional graphic
designers have concentration on signboard designs which has lead to great changes in
this field. In the signboards, usually the typography and the logo of the organization are
given importance. Images are also used if necessary. Some of them are undoubtedly
quite aesthetic and tasteful. However, the greatest change in signboards is the use of
signboards in shops for advertising by multinational companies. Therefore, the
advertisements of different products are more visible than the names of the shops (fig.
4.24). It is needless to say that the credit of creating the advertisement goes to the
advertising agency assigned by the company. Multinational companies dominate the
world of advertising, and for that matter, the field of graphic design as well.
The festoon is closely related to banners and signboards. It was introduced to
Bangladesh primarily in the 50s. The festoon is a popular medium in advertising a
product, program, meeting, festival, or conveying a message (pl. 4.22). Festoons are
more efficacious for short-term or temporary campaigns. They are generally used by
the roadside or important places where there are public gatherings. Sometimes,
festoons are hung on the walls of organizations. The signboard artists who have been
discussed previously write festoons all over the country. However, the students
educated from the Institute of Fine Art have set the trend of writing festoons in
different forms. Attractive calligraphy and use of alpana are the two main
characteristics of these festoons. Later, non-institutionalized artists also followed this
trend. From the 90s, screen print was introduced to festoon design. Screen print helps
in creating many festoons in the same design. At this point, it also became possible to
add the picture of the product in the design. Recently festoons are made digitally for
commercial purposes. By using higher technology, it is now possible to design more
beautiful and aesthetic festoons. Different advertising agencies design these festoons
with the approval of the advertisers. Sometimes non-institutionalized artists execute
festoons from layouts of the advertising agencies.
8. Leaflet and booklet
The exact time of introduction of the leaflet in Bangladesh is not known. Although the
use of the leaflet was there before the printing industry was introduced, we do not
know what its look and nature was. Usually a leaflet or handbill gives information or
statements about any product or institution, printed on a piece of paper that is
distributed from person to person. Most probably, it was first introduced to this
subcontinent from the British era. As far as we know, for the sake of publicity of a
drama or film, the summary of the drama or the film was published on one side of the
paper and distributed among the people. 54
If we do not count the folk palagan (narrative song) and jatra (open air drama) as the
beginning of the Bengali theatre, that were in practice for a long time, then the Bengali