Page 496 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

CINMA BANNER PAINTING 493

later banner painting improved when
professional artists took over. In
cinema banner painting, whoever the
painter was, tried to adopt the European
naturalistic style of painting which
gradually developed into a unique
genre of painting. Cinema banner
painting in Bangladesh started
primarily with the non-Bengali Muslim
artists who came to East Bengal from
India after partition. Local artists
joined them later (fig. 11.2).
In Bangladesh, basically two different
trends of banner painting developed in
two towns. The first one was in
Syedpur (presently under Nilphamari
district) and the second one in Dhaka. 33
Occasionally connection was
established between these two areas. Some have tried their hands in cinema banner fig. 11.3 Cinema banner
painting in various parts of the country. Some have worked in other cities after painting, photograph
learning it from either Dhaka or Syedpur. It is reported that some of these artists Athahar Hossain Surjo
worked in Chittagong, Khulna and Rangpur. 34
It is notable that Abdul Wahab, Abdul Hafiz and S.M Shahabuddin who originally
came from Chennai created a special style at Syedpur in the district of Nilphamari,
which had not been affected by foreign influence after the partition. But in Dhaka, the
evolution of cinema banner painting was influenced by institutionally trained artists,
although none of them continued in this profession for long. Thus, the responsibility
35
to carry on this tradition fell on the artists who were not institutionally trained. They
have, in the meanwhile, been able to create a style of their own. Despite their work
bearing the imprint of institutional art, due to the use of bright colors, diverse
compositions, unique use of lettering etc., cinema banner painting has become a
distinct and unique trend which is easily identifiable (fig. 11.3).
2
A special kind of paste or mixture is used to paint cinema banners instead of the
regular watercolor or oil paint. It is made of ordinary powder colors available in the
market mixed with linseed oil. Enamel paint is mixed when necessary. It is customary
to mix turpentine oil with the paint as a thinner. This particular kind of color was used
in Dhaka in the 50s and it is still in use in Syedpur. But in Dhaka in the 60s press ink
was introduced along with this mixed color. The prime reason for using press ink was
cutting cost, press ink also made the paintings more vibrant and attractive. There are
at the same time different opinions about the use of fluorescent colors in cinema
banner painting. S. Moyeen says that in Kolkata it was in practice in the 60s. and his