Bollywood Cinema Hoardings
Kananda curates
what we believe to be the largest collection of hand painted
oil on canvas Indian cinema hoardings in the UK.
A Dying Art
Traditionally, new releases of Indian films
have been promoted by oil on canvas paintings hung on the
facades of picture houses as giant hoardings. These have
been hand painted by hoarding artists since the beginnings
of the Indian film industry, and have come to represent an
image of Indian cinema accepted as iconic. The art, however,
is a dying one in the face of new technologies, and in 2006
it is becoming increasingly rare to see an original oil on
canvas painting when a digital print on vinyl is both
cheaper and quicker to produce. Many hoardings artists now
find their profession and way of life under threat.
Of the
many thousands of hoardings painted over the years, most
were circulated until they fell apart. If the paintings
managed to survive the rigours of constant movement and
exposure to the elements, then the canvases were usually
painted over in white wash. Upon the commissioning of a new
painting by the film distributor, a new painting would be
produced on top, and the canvas used again. The canvas had
more value than the image, and very few originals therefore
remain.
The Kananda
Collection
We have been sourcing and
collecting such pieces over a period of 8 years, and as far
as we can ascertain, have the most comprehensive collection
anywhere outside of India. These cover the golden age of
Indian cinema from 1949 to 1975, and include some of the
most recognisable and iconic images from Indian film. We
are also in possession of a considerable collection of
original vinyl recordings of the soundtracks to these films
and a small collection of publicity booklets and song lyric
pamphlets.
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Our Services
We invite proposals
from organisations who might wish to utilise this
collection in the form of an exhibition, film
festival or cultural event. Events can be planned
according to the specific needs of the client, and
we welcome all proposals. Add-on events and back-up
material can also be arranged, if required.
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Click
thumbnails
for images
from our collection.
Contact
info@kananda.com
for more details. |
