Trip to Melaka Batik House

Last tuesday, I went to Melaka Batik House as for my final year project matters. I need to do some interview with the staff there and also make a video about the batik canting process. The place was in Melaka, it's not so hard to find it because there were many sign board showing the way to the Melaka Batik House.

In order to record and learn more about batik canting, I took the package for learning how to do the batik canting. The cost not so expensive and I think it's reasonable. Only RM 35 per head for an hour. During the learning session, I gained a lot of information about batik canting. They teach me how to do the canting, from drawing , canting until coloring the batik. That was very meaningful experience.

Other than that, one of the staff there named Rahmah, she told me a lot of story that related to batik canting. On how batik comes to Malaysia and many more. She also teach me on how to differentiate between batik canting design and batik print design, because these two design got differences surface. Puan Rahmah also show me some of the cloth at their butik. Now I know, why some of the batik cost a lot.

During the session, I found that, batik canting was really interesting thing to be learn. Trust me, and it is more expensive than the others is because, batik canting was made by hand, not using a machine. One of the staff shows how to use the canting. Canting is not we draw using the pencil and we can erase it whenever we want. Canting is, once the wax touch the cloth, you can never turn back. Just go ahead, follow the instinct. Puan Rahmah said that, if we do the canting, by following our heart or instinct, the output of the design will be beautiful, and it shows how we feel and our feeling that time.

I learnt a lot. Thank you so much Melaka Batik House.

Consultation

Today is consultation day. I have consult with the lecturer about my idea, which is to preserve the batik canting. Everything went well. Lecturer also give some good advice about the project.  I really want to do the 'Batik canting' because after I did more reading, and research, I found that the topic is very interesting and I am not going to regret to choose this as my final project.

Lecturer also show some books that related to art, and it is more about drawing, architecture, and other arts. When I read on the architecture part, I have been thinking, what if I relate the architecture, because architecture is related to building, and the design on the building, so why not if I put some of the architecture character in my project. But it is not easy as I think. So i need to do a lot of research about architectture if I want to put it into my 'Batik Canting project.

About the Batik Canting

PRESERVATION OF BATIK CANTING

History

Batik's true origin is still a mystery. The word 'batik' has been translated to mean 'to dot'. Some translated it as 'wax writing' or 'drawing with a broken line'.

It is a very old form of art, as evidence of early batik has been found in the Middle East, Egypt, Peru, Japan, East Turkistan, Europe, as well as Central Asia (India and China) as far back as 2000 years ago. Despite its uncertain origins, batik has reached its highest artistic expression in South East Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Batik was first introduced to Europe in the 17th century when the Dutch, who colonized Java, Indonesia, introduced this art form to that part of the world.

There are two distinct styles of batik that have been around for centuries, first is the coastal style which has strong and colourful design in the form of tropical flora and fauna typically from the city of Pekalongan. The second is the inland style of batik which has predominant colours combination of brown, blue, and black mostly from the central of Java typically from the city of Solo formerly the capital of kingdom of Surakarta. Each individual batik sheet is uniquely designed and individually hand-painted making each individual batik sheet is one of a kind in the world.

It is worn by the people of Java of all level of society from peasants to Royal families. The style and quality of the batik sheet represents social status. Any particular design can only be worn by a particular social group such as the Royal court who has their own distinct style and design and produced using high quality material only.

Batik Production Stage

It can generally be divided into 3 types:

a) Canting (tjanting or tulis)



It involves outlining the design using a canting, a metal pen tool filled with hot wax. Colours are then painted on the cloth and the process of the waxing, dyeing, and boiling will be followed till the desired result is obtained. The process can take up to weeks depending on the intricacy of the pattern, which is why hand painted batik is so highly valued.

b) Cap (block printing)


It involves the application of wax directly onto the cloth using soldered tin or copper
strips block impressed with certain designs. The block, or "Chop" is placed into hot wax and then hand stamped onto the fabric. When the wax is dry the fabric is dyed. Then the wax is removed and the pattern is visible.




c) Silk screening (screen painting)



Different screens are used according to the colours and patterns desired. The wax is applied onto the cloth using these screens. This printing method is usually used in the mass production of batik for commercial use.




Canting


Canting is a tool to draw or paint with malam candle drawing onto the mori. Canting determines the name of batik that will be produced to become drawing batik. This tool is made from the mixture of copper and wood or bamboo which is flexible and light

Canting Can Be Differentiated Into Some Kinds:

a. According to the function

- Canting Reng-rengan

Canting reng-rengan is used to make batik reng-rengan. Reng-rengan (ngengrengan) is first drawing according to the pattern before it’s done further. The person who makes batik reng-rengan is called ngengreng. The pattern is the drawing which is used as a model sample. Reng-rengan means framework. Usually canting reng-rengan is used especially to make its pattern framework, while isen or the content of the part in which batik is made uses canting isen according to the content of the part wanted. Batik from the result of taking the sample from the batik pattern framework or together with the content is called Polan. Canting reng-rengan has a singular and middle tip.

-.Canting Isen

Canting isen is canting to make the content, or to fill polan. Canting isen has either singular or double small tip.

b. According to how big is the tip Canting can be differentiated into: 

- Small canting carat (tip)
- Middle canting carat
- Big canting carat

c. According to the number of carat (tip)

Canting can be differentiated into :

- Canting cecekan.

Canting cecekan has one tip, small, and is used to make small dots (Javanese: cecek). A person who makes dots by using canting cecekan is called “nyeceki”. Besides to make small dots for the content, canting cecekan is also used to make small lines.

- Canting loron.
Loron derives from the word loro which means two. This canting has double tips, up and down to make double lines.

- Canting telon 

Candle ("MALAM")

Candle or "malam" is the material used to make batik. Actually "malam" isn't used (lost), because finally it will taken back in the washing process, the making process till becoming batik cloth.

The Kinds of "Malam" and its Mixture

"Malam" that is used for making batik has various types. The quality affects on the absorption power, colour that can affect mori color, the softnes of the liquid, etc
Therefore, its prices are different one another. But in our usage, it depends on the need.

Profesional Batik Silk Painting

Problem Identification

- Nowadays, young generation are much more likely on graffiti painting, and they forgot about the traditional painting, like batik canting, which are valuable. Some of them don't even know, what is batik canting about. Because nowadays, batik canting only produced by old generation, who trying so hard to remain and preserve the batik canting, but the youth generation, they more too modern painting, which is graffiti, paint the wall, and its everywhere. But they don't realize that they are aggravate the views. Unless they do it at the right and suitable place. 

Aim and objective

- To expand the use of batik canting

- To maintain the originality and the beauty of the batik canting

- To expand the art of batik canting

- To reduce the use of hazardous paint

- To encourage young people to continue the batik canting

- Appreciation for the environment

- Future generation still can recognized the batik canting 

- People can differentiate between Batik canting and the common pattern or shape

Ideation and concept

- Classified as an interactive art. Communication between user and the software. To remain the beauty of the design, and also the details of the batik canting. 

Sources:

tjokrosuharto.com

finebatik.com

batikcantingindonesia.com

youtube.com

Week 6

Research topic

Title: Save the light for future ( Little light in a box) 

About to preserve the light for future generation, and the earth would not seem gloomy, even on when the night falls.


Problem identification

Back to our great grandparents, during their time, there were no facility especially lights. They can see everything during day, but when night come, their vision is limited, even their movement also restricted. At that time, on night, they only used whether candles or oil lamp as their light source to lighten their house. At least, they still can move from one place to another place, with a little help from the candle or the oil lamp, even the light is not so clear, but they still can see. It shows that, lights is very important in their life.
Nowadays, as we can see, people can do anything on sunny day or even midnight, because they got supported from the light sources. What will happen, if there is no light at all, during the midnight? People will get 'blind' for a while, until the sunrise.


Aim and Objective

* To be more appreciative towards light
* To use the light when needed
* To manifest future generation cherish light



Motivation 

Light installation done by Sonia Falcone. It consists of a combination of a dark background and light projecting onto blocks. The combination of colors on a dark background would make more of an impact on the audience also it would make them feel that they are in a happy environment. The installation was also set up so that it was able to be seen by different perspective. This allowed viewers to see different colors and feel different emotions depending on where they were. The way she wants to the audience feel the moment is really work. 

Ideation and conception

For the idealization,  it is more on installation art, and the concept is about to make people experiencing on how they feel if, there is no light in future, standing in the middle of the dark without do anything, and everything seems very limited especially vision/ eyesight, the curiosity feelings will appeared because they cannot see anything around them, and it makes them uncomfortable, and from what they get after the experience, will make them to preserve the light.

Week 5

Ideation

To preserve light for future generation, so this earth would not seem gloomy and being enlightened, and not depends the light from the sun only.

Objectives

Back to our great grandparents, during their time, there were no facility especially lights. They can see everything during day, but when night come, their vision is limited, even their movement also restricted. At that time, on night, they only used whether candles or oil lamp as their lights sources to lighten their house. At least, they still can move from one place to another place, with a little help from the candle or the oil lamp, even the light is not so clear, but they still can see. It shows that, light is very important in their life.

Nowadays, as we can see, people can do anything, on sunny day, or even mid-night, because they got supported from the light sources. What will happen, there is no light at all, during the mid-night? People will get ‘blind’ for a while, until the sunrise. What can they do during the dark night, with no light at all?

Motivation

To motivate public together to preserve the light, so the future generation, will not live in dark again, as our great grandparents do, years before. Show to the people about why light important in our daily life, and why they need to preserve it. To show how to preserve, like for example, limit the usage of lights especially in electricity.

Week 4

After discussion with the lecturers last week, both of my proposal accepted but still, there is some parts that I need to be improved. According to the lecturer, my proposal is more to experience the things, rather than preserve it. So I stick with the topic "Preservation of Light".

Now I have to think again and do more research about to preserve the light, rather than experience it.

I do think about the new output, which is I'll still make the installation art, but the differences is on the size. So, from the small space, maybe I will change it to a medium box, not too big or too small, and applied the idea in it. Basically, the concept and the idea is still the same, only the size. Actually, after I go through the youtube last night, I've found something interesting, and yes it's about light also.

source: youtube

Week 3

After discussion with the lecturer last week, I'm going back and do more research and try to find some examples on the youtube, and i found some of it but not the same with previously selected topics. Because of quite a lot references that i have found, so I changed the topic.

We need to print out of two proposals with different topic under the same theme, which is PRESERVATION..

Title: Preservation of sound (proposal 1)

Sound is one of the most important in human life.  It is important as a signal perceived by one of the primary sensory.  Sound is also used by all types of species in this world, to show anger, sadness, fear, joy/happy and so on. Other than that, sound is also used to identify the physical phenomena environmental conditions such as rain, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.  Communication also produced sounds.  As a human being, nobody knows about their future life, where are they, what are going to happen.  What if something happened and that affects future life. How to survive with no vision, but only touch and hearing. It would be great if something that produce sound and can make life better even without vision. So, for the final year project, I decided to create something to preserve sound. So it would remain to help people in need. As my target audience is disabled people especially those who are blind and dumb.  Without say it out, they can show their feeling or what they want other people know through sounds. For the project, a small space needed, and the decoration of the sound will be play along, but the people that enter into the room, their eyes will be covered with black cloth, and they only need to sit at the middle of the room and hear anything played without look at it.

Title: Preservation of light (proposal 2)

Light is one of the important sources in human’s life. It is important if the light is not preserved, situation will become unbalanced in terms of the movement will be a little limited. The large space will seem small because of limited visibility and not a lot of activities can be done. Dark conditions will make people curious about the contents behind of the darkness. The way to preserve the light, a medium space needed. The wall of the space will be fulfilling with the menthols, or lamp in different size and colors. For starters, the state of the room will seem unbearably dark; two people can enter the room at the same time but in different route. The lights will be playing, but only some of them. It is not about to scare them but it’s all about to make them appreciate lights, to make them feels like, light is very important as their sight or their guide to wherever they go, so they can see everything clearly and wants to preserve it for the future life, if they don’t want to live in a dark site just like in the space.

These are some example that i found on youtube that related to sound and light

sound

light

sources: youtube