«African mesh» – the African look: This was the name of an exhibition in London that showcased the weird and wonderful historical art form of the Ghanaian movie poster.
In the 1980s, video cassettes found their way to Ghana in West Africa. The gap in the market for the small, mobile cinema was quickly discovered and filled. Movie promoters traveled from city to city and village to village to show videos of the most popular Hollywood blockbusters to paying audiences.
Of course, such freelance movie promoters could not rely on Hollywood’s advertising machinery with its glossy posters and other advertising products. Instead, local artists were commissioned to design advertising posters for the film in question.
Today, such hand-painted West African movie posters are sought-after collectibles, of which only a few have survived. They are all unique – painted on paper, cardboard or canvas.
Again and again (as recently in a well-publicized Twitter thread) these works of art find a new audience. Here are some of the biggest.
(obi)
Source: Watson
I am Ross William, a passionate and experienced news writer with more than four years of experience in the writing industry. I have been working as an author for 24 Instant News Reporters covering the Trending section. With a keen eye for detail, I am able to find stories that capture people’s interest and help them stay informed.
