The Language of Cloth is proud to announce the new name of our batik studio in Sragen, Central Java: Wirama Wastra literally means “words of cloth” in Javanese. There is no equivalent to the English word for language so Hartono and I decided on the closest name that would correspond to The Language of Clothin San Francisco. Our latest batik creations can be seen at the amazing gallery of our dear friend and textile enthusiast, Sharon Christovitch, The FolkArt Gallery in San Rafael, California. www.thefolkartgallery.com The gallery focuses primarily on folk art from around the globe, but also includes a sizable collection of ethnic and contemporary textiles.
Please click on the photo above to see the batik currently on exhibition.
February 6, 2010 – 11:45 am
Mega mendung is the name of a batik pattern which originates in Cirebon on the north coast of Java. The name refers to clouds. The origin is Chinese, probably influenced by cloud decoration on 7th century Chinese bronze vessels. It is characterized by a gradation of color from light to dark. The effect is achieved by the batik process by applying successive lines of wax next to each other, with a dye bath of the same color after each application. When the wax is removed the successive lines of color from light to dark create the distinctive gradation that makes this pattern so appealing.
The mega mendung motif in this kain panjang (hip wrapper) batik os adapted to illustrate the carbon monoxide emissions in factory smokestacks.
Detail
This is the final dye bath. At this point 5 successive adjacent lines of wax have been applied, with a dye bath after each one. The entire area of the cloth has been covered with wax except the central area of each cloud. It was not covered with wax during the entire process and consequently received all the successive dye baths, so it is the darkest color in the gradation. After this dye bath the wax will be removed by immersing the cloth in a vat of boiling water.
December 23, 2009 – 4:09 pm
This batik is in the Kain panjang format and is a statement about the carbon dioxide emitted by our use of fossil fuels for transportation. It is based on a traditional mega mendung or cloud/rock pattern which originated in Cirebon on the north coast of Java. It is in the tradition of the batik dongeng, or story batik which were popular during the Dutch colonization of Indonesia. I designed it and Hartono produced it in Wirama Wastra Batik Workshop in Kliwonan, not far from Solo in Central Java, It is one in a series of dongneg batik we are making for future exhibition.
November 16, 2009 – 9:33 pm
For the past 5 years I have opened my door to neighbors, friends, and textile lovers every weekend during the month of December. I have enjoyed meeting many new people and sharing my passion for beautiful, hand made cloth from many countries. Over the last several years my focus has narrowed down to batik. It has become the ultimate medium for my own creative expression. I spend more of my time now in Central Java working with Hartono to create new and innovative batik designs. Beginning in the new year I will concentrate on batik exclusively. So in this last big sale I plan to liquidate my inventory of hand woven silk scarves, shawls, and other traditional, ceremonial, decorative, and wearable textiles from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, an Thailand. It will be an opportunity for my wonderful supporters to pick up some beautiful silk hand woven textiles at very reasonable prices.
November 13, 2009 – 3:51 pm
Hartono went to New York to meet some of his vendors and to present a trunk show and batik demonstration as the last past of his US visit. Here he gives an impromptu mini workshop to an eager [participant.
October 31, 2009 – 7:01 am
The eight participants who recently spent a full day learning the basic techniques of Javanese batik making were not surprised to find that it is not as easy as it looks. Using the wax pen (canting) was without a doubt the most difficult part. Here the students are applying dye to small isolated sections of the waxed cloth with bamboo (colet).
October 25, 2009 – 6:52 pm
Hartono was guest artist at FolkArt Gallery in San Rafael, California and gave a presentation on batik to a very enthusiastic audience. Sharon Christovich, gallery owner and textile enthusiast was one of the sponsors helping to bring Hartono to the US for the first time.
October 22, 2009 – 5:30 am
Hartono offered firsthand experience in applying wax with the canting to visitors to Silk Moon Gallery in Sebastopol. Participants quickly acquired a keen appreciation for the skill required in creating the beautiful batiks he brought from his village in Central Java.
Janet Rodina continues to demonstrate her commitment to promoting traditional textile arts by bringing artisans from around the work to share their craft with her customers.
August 25, 2009 – 2:12 pm
Hartono who makes most of the batik in our collection will be visiting the US for the first time in October, coming from his village in Central Java and bringing a wonderful collection of new batik, along with the tools of his trade to give a series of presentations and workshops. Check Upcoming Events for the schedule.
Click on the above photo to see more about natural dyes.
New natural dye colors on hand-woven Phnom Srok silk from Cambodia were inspired by my visit to Siem Reap last March.
When I was in Cambodia searching for hand-woven silk cloth for our batik, I had the opportunity to meet an amazing man who has devoted himself for the last 20 years to helping the Cambodian people re-establish their traditional weaving practices which were almost entirely wiped out during the Khmer Rouge years. His name is Kikuo Morimoto.
http://iktt.esprit-libre.org/en/2004/04/morimoto-kikuo-biography.html
I had visited the small shop in Siem Reap where the textiles made from the project are sold to fund their community, and was encourage to call Mr. Morimoto to visit the forest project. It is some distance from town and by motorbike, part of the way on a dusty unpaved road. There are no houses along that road and it seemed quite an unlikely area in which to find a forest. But then a gateway appeared at the entrance to the forest.
Please click on the above photo to enter the forest and see more photos of Wisdom From the Forest.
