"What is Batik? It is an ancient textile art that involves a specialized method of applying  dye to fabric, usually cotton or silk. We have evidence of Batik being practiced over 2,000 years ago in the Far East, MIddle East, Central Asia, and India.
This art reached its peak of development on the Indonesian island of Java. The word Batik originates from the Javanese tik, and means "to dot". Historians believe the art traveled along the carvan trade routes. Fashions and furnishings helped bring the beauty of this tradition to world wide prominence. Batik apparel was formerly the clothing of aristocracy, batik is now the art of the world.
Think of batik as the reverse of painting. Traditionally, you would paint an area where you wish there to be color or a design on a piece of fabric. Instead, with batik selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color.
The intricate and colorful batik we normally see is a complicated, multi-step process. The more colors a batik fabric has, the more time it has been through the process of applying wax, dying, and drying. After the final dying the wax is removed and the cloth is ready for wearing or showing.
The process has to happen in a precise order that will produce the pattern or figures that are desired. Additionally, the order of which colors to apply also has to be followed.
Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly different from the more traditional and formal styles. For example, the artist may use etching, discharge dying, stencils, different tools for waxing and drying, and wax recipes with different resist values. Silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper, or even wood and ceramics may be used.
Batik is historically the most subtle and expressive of the resist methods. The ever widening range of techniques available offers the artist the opportunity to explore a unique process in a flexible and exciting way. |
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